FastLook! Video capture linked with jClamp
In order to use FastLook, the fastlook checkbox must be set in the jClamp ini file. If it is not the FastLook (FL) camera icon in the Command Utility window FL will be in red letters. If the ini file is set, FastLook will open as an external instance, independent of jClamp, but linked to it via background polling.
If enabled, moving the mouse cursor over the camera image will open a pop up window. Check the FastLook Linker check box to allow digital out channel 0 to trigger the Prosilica or USB3 compatible video camera. The rate at which trigger is performed is entered into the Rate text box. Digital markers are plotted where trigger events will occur in time during the analog stimulus to the cell. Triggering is repeated for each episode. You must make sure that the rate can be handled by the camera (see FastLook help file to determine frame rate of the camera). You can run the command by pressing the Init button or by saving the protocol and running from the RPD directory or script, as usual.
Data and video files are saved to the jClamp data directory. The filename of the video clip is a combination of jClamp data file name and current time plus the extension “.vda”. For USB3 cameras AVI or TIFF files are generated. In analysis window opening a data file that has an associated video (vda, AVI or TIFF) file will open a FastLook viewer internally within jClamp for viewing of the video (see windows below).
In the jClamp Data Load window, when an abf file is clicked on, if an associated FastLook video exists it’s filename will be displayed. If the checkbox next to <FastLook Video:> is unchecked, the video file will not be loaded when the abf data file is loaded. If it is checked both abf and video files will be displayed.
If the play button is pressed then the video will play and the jClamp red cursor will jump to each time location where a video frame was captured. Pressing up/down frame will do the same. You can also drag the cursor and the frames will follow the red cursor time.
Enabling Export data to file will save data read at each cursor position during playing to a file for future analysis in external programs. Also video can be exported to ImageJ (see FastLook help file).
