The edit object tool helps you to manage evaluated objects. You might modify their graphical representation as well as extract object property values. Because of the basic concept in dotCube: "Every effect or function will be applied to any selected item" you have to select the appropriate options in the "On other selected images..." menu when working with multiple images.

Select

• "...do nothing" if the other selected images should be ignored
• "...do the same to any object with the same ID if you want to modify every object with equal ID in each selected image
• "...do the same at the same position" if you want to modify objects in every selected image at the equivalent image position.

Read on for further details:

• Extract numeric data
• List properties
• List pixels
• Rename objects
• Change ID of a single object
• Unite objects and allocate a new ID
• Change selection status
• Select object pixels
• Deselect object pixels
• Modify graphical representation
• Change colors and label size
• Show or hide objects
• Delete objects
• Z order of objects

Extract numerical data

The edit object tool enables you to extract numeric results from previously found objects. Once an object is found, its coordinates are stored in the object layer of the corresponding image. As a consequence, any object property of your interest can be determined by the edit object tool in future analysis processes.

List properties

The edit object tool provides access to properties and pixels of previously calculated objects. To determine object properties and insert them into a table, select the "List properties" option. The maintenance button on the right opens the object properties dialog which asks you how the data should be arranged and which properties should be listed. If some object properties were not yet calculated, they are determined from the edit object tool. In this way, you are able to work with the entire object properties set no matter how many properties were originally determined when the objects were found.

List pixels

You can obtain pixels of previously found objects by the "List pixels" option. Select this option and click on the demanded object. The edit object tool displays a table containing

• x coordinate in pixel units
• y coordinate in pixel units
• x coordinate in native units
• y coordinate in native units
• z values
• boolean flag if pixel belongs to border
• boolean flag if pixel belongs to skeleton
• boolean flag if pixel belongs to the largest skeleton branch.

With the help of the sort functions of the dotCube table section, you are able to extract object pixels with distinct properties like border or skeleton pixels.

Rename objects

Every object gets automatically an ID. This ID is a unique number within the image where the object is found. The uniqueness is crucial because object data should not be mixed up. The edit object tool provides a dialog which enables you to change the ID of any object. If you choose a already used ID dotCube will automatically rename the other object because of the crucial uniqueness.

Change ID of a single object

To change an ID of a single object, select the "Change id" option and click onto an object of a selected image. The change ID dialog asks for a new ID.

Unite objects and allocate a new ID

If you would like to unite multiple objects and allocate a distinct ID, the following process is the way to go:

1. Select the "Select pixels" option of the edit object tool.
2. Click on any objects you want to unite with each other so their pixels are selected.
3. Open the "Advanced properties dialog" on the "Object layer" page in the icon bar. Select each demanded object (do not check or uncheck but select the entire data cell). Click the "Remove sel. object" button and when finished the "Apply changes" button.
4. Select the "Transform mask to object" function from the image processing section (Image processing → Transform mask to object).
5. Choose the "Create one object" option and choose the ID manually.
6. Press "Start".

Change selection status

The edit object tool enables you to select or deselect object pixels.

Select object pixels

To select pixels of an object, choose the "Select pixels" option and click onto an object.

Deselect object pixels

To deselect pixels of an object, choose the "Deselect pixels" option and click onto an object.

Modify graphical representation

The edit object tool provides several possibilities to change the objects' colors, label size, visibility statuses, z order as well as their plain existence. While the "On other selected images..." options box governs the treatment of other selected images, the "Draw options" box gives you the possibility to apply your changes to one or all objects of the current images. Afterwards, other selected images are treated like in the "On other selected images..." options box stated.

Change colors and label size

The color and label size options might be applied to a single or each object:

• To apply this option to one object, select the "Change appearance" option, set the label and color settings and click onto an object.
• To apply this option to every object of the current image, click the appropriate "Change all" button (next to label size or color settings).

Show or hide objects

The show and hide options of objects might be applied to a single or each object:

• To apply this option to one object, select the "Show / Hide" option and click onto an object.
• To apply this option to every object of the current image, click "Show object layer " or "Hide object layer".

Delete objects

Select the "Delete" option and click onto an object to delete this one from the image and thereby from the object layer.

z order of objects

Select the "Bring to front / back" option and click onto an object to set this object in front or behind any other object in the current image.