Annotations and Scale bar¶

CamTool enables to add simple text annotations to the image.
It also supports a scale bar.

In order to work with annotations, you need to show the tool using menu Tools - Annotations.

Adding objects and properties¶

To add the Label or Scale bar to the image, click the button at the top of the Annotation tool - Insert new object.
The object will have the properties (colors, font) of the last used object.

There are also shortcuts to add the objects more quickly:

• Label: Ctrl+Shift+L
• Scale bar: Ctrl+Shift+S

When you click on the object in the image, you can set its properties in the Annotation tool.
You can select text color, font, optional background color.

To remove the object from the image, click on the Remove... button in the Placement box.

Fixed object placement¶

Objects are designed to be at a fixed position in the image at its borders.
To select the placement, click the arrow button in the Placement box.
Objects cannot be moved using a mouse.

Scale bar length and conversion factors¶

Scale bar may be used to show the real distance in the image.
To achieve proper results, you need to set its length and the image pixel conversion factor - size of 1 pixel.

After adding a new scale bar, click on Label / Value Edit... button.
The above window will appear.
Select the length and unit you want to show.
To calculate the real scale bar size in the image, you also need to define the image conversion factor.

After activating the conversion factor the length of all scale bars in the current image is recalculated.

Conversion factors¶

Conversion factor (image calibration) is the size of one image pixel.
CamTool can store any number of conversion factors.
The list of conversion factors is shown at the bottom part of the Annotation tool.
To add the new conversion factor, click Add... button.

• Title: text the be displayed on the button representing the conversion factor. The title must be unique among all conversion factors.
• Conversion factor: write the size of 1 pixel and select the length unit for this value
• Key sequence: optional keyboard shortcut to activate this conversion factor more quickly

Saving to file¶

To save the image including the annotations, use the usual Save menu or toolbar commands in CamTool.

CamTool does not support saving annotations in the non-destuctive image overlay yet.
The only option is to "burn" them into the image in RGB format.

Before saving the image or video containing the annotation (or scale bar), CamTool asks you to select the method:
"Do you want to burn the annotations into the image? This will convert the image to RGB".

• Yes: burn annotations into the image data (note: current LUT is used to convert the image to RGB)
• No: save the image without annotations.
• Cancel: stop the saving process