Image Viewer Module Guide

The Image Viewer module lets you browse and inspect TIFF image stacks with two viewing modes: a detailed gallery view for examining individual slices, and a thumbnail grid for quick navigation through the entire stack. You can also compare two to four stacks side by side with a shared slice slider, zoom, and pan.

For a conceptual overview, see Image Viewer.

The Image Viewer module landing page showing step navigation and file selector

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Quick Start

1. Launch module — Click "Image Viewer" from the workspace hub
2. Select a file — Choose a TIFF stack from your workspace or module results
3. Optionally compare — Add up to four validated stacks to the comparison list
4. Browse slices — Use the slider, Previous/Next buttons, or arrow keys to navigate
5. Switch modes — Toggle between Gallery and Thumbnail views

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Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Image Selection

Select the TIFF stack (or stacks) you want to view.

Step 1 file selection with validation status display

Input Options

Source	Description	When to Use
Workspace Files	TIFF files uploaded to your workspace	Viewing raw data or uploaded images
Segmentation Results	Output from the Segmentation module	Inspecting inference results
DL Denoising Results	Output from Deep Learning Denoising	Reviewing denoised images
Filter Denoising Results	Output from Filter Denoising	Reviewing filter-denoised images

Automatic File Loading

If you navigate to the Image Viewer from another module (e.g., after running inference), the output file is automatically selected and you'll proceed directly to Step 2.

File Requirements

• Format: Multi-page TIFF (.tif or .tiff)
• Bit Depth: 8-bit or 16-bit grayscale
• Channels: Single channel (grayscale)

Validation Display

After selecting a file, the validation display shows:

Information	Example
Dimensions	512 x 512 pixels
Slice Count	256 slices
Data Type	8-bit unsigned

Note: The "Next" button is disabled until a valid file is selected and validated.

Comparing Stacks

To compare stacks side by side, select a validated file and click Add selected to comparison. Repeat to build a list of two to four stacks — each entry shows its name, dimensions, and slice count, with an × to remove it.

• With two or more stacks listed, the Next button reads "Next: Compare N Stacks" and opens the comparison view
• Leave the list empty (or with one stack) to view a single stack normally

For more details, see Image Stack Selection.

Click "Next: View Image" to proceed to Step 2.

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Step 2: View Image

Browse and inspect your image stack using the viewer controls.

Full viewer interface with toolbar, viewing area, and controls

Toolbar

The toolbar at the top provides mode switching and file information:

Element	Description
← Change File	Return to Step 1 to select a different file
Gallery / Thumbnails	Toggle between viewing modes
Filename	Currently loaded file name
Slice Count	Total number of slices (e.g., "256 slices")

Gallery Mode (Default)

Gallery mode displays a single slice at full resolution with zoom and pan capabilities.

Gallery mode with zoom controls and slice navigation slider

Slice Navigation

Control	Action
◀ Previous / Next ▶	Step through slices
Left/Right arrow keys	Step through slices
Numeric slice field	Jump to a specific slice (1-based)
Slice Indicator	Shows current position (e.g., "25 / 100")
Slider	Drag to jump to any slice

Zoom Controls

Control	Action
Zoom in / out buttons	Step zoom in 1.25× increments
Mouse Wheel	Zoom toward the cursor
Fit to view	Reset the zoom and re-center
Actual size	Set the served slice image to 1:1
Zoom range	10% – 1000%

Panning

• Drag with the left or middle mouse button, or hold Space and drag, to move around the image

Tip: Use the mouse wheel to quickly zoom in on areas of interest, then drag to pan around the image.

Thumbnail Mode

Thumbnail mode displays all slices as a scrollable grid of previews.

Thumbnail mode with scrollable grid of slice previews

Features:

• Grid Layout — Responsive grid that adjusts to panel width
• Lazy Loading — Thumbnails load as you scroll (better performance for large stacks)
• Slice Numbers — Each thumbnail shows its slice number
• Click to View — Click any thumbnail to open that slice in Gallery mode

Tip: Use Thumbnail mode to get an overview of your entire stack, then click a slice to examine it in detail in Gallery mode.

Comparison Mode

When you added two or more stacks in Step 1, the viewer shows them together:

• Gallery — one pane per stack, all driven by one shared slice slider, zoom, and pan, so the same z position and view stay aligned across stacks. A shorter stack clamps to its last slice and shows an "end of stack" badge.
• Thumbnails — a table with one column per stack and one row per slice index, so the same depth lines up across stacks. Click a cell to open that slice in the comparison gallery.

Comparison mode with twos stacks displayed

The toolbar shows "Comparing N stacks" instead of a single filename.

For more details, see Viewer Controls.

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Mouse and Keyboard Controls

Input	Action	Mode
Mouse Wheel	Zoom toward cursor	Gallery
Left/Middle Drag or Space + Drag	Pan	Gallery
Left/Right Arrow Keys	Previous/next slice	Gallery
Click Thumbnail	Open slice in Gallery mode	Thumbnail
Drag Slider	Jump to slice	Gallery

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
"Next" button disabled	No file selected or validation failed	Select a valid TIFF file
Slice not loading	Network issue or file error	Wait for loading or try refreshing
Can't pan the image	Zoom level at 100% or below	Zoom in first, then pan
Thumbnails loading slowly	Large stack with many slices	Normal behavior; thumbnails load as you scroll
File not appearing in list	Wrong file type or location	Ensure file is a TIFF in your workspace

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Related Help Articles

Module Overview:

• Image Viewer — Module introduction and features

Step-by-Step:

• Image Stack Selection — File selection and validation
• Viewer Controls — Gallery, thumbnail, and navigation controls