Once an image has been selected from a microscope’s thumbnail list, the image is displayed in Live Data and can be zoomed up on to show the selected image at full size. Given here is a brief description of each viewer element starting with the image and moving clockwise.


  1. Image Area. The image area is a fixed size and cannot be increased. The image area is used to display pictures, micrographs, videos, and animations.
  2. Contrast. The contrast of the image can be changed using this slider. Changing the contrast is often useful for exposing subtle features in an image.
  3. Save. Clicking on this button will save the image to the lab book.
  4. Labels. Some images will have labels on the image helping to point out important features. This button is used to turn those labels on and off.
  5. Zooming Buttons. The magnifying glass buttons in the upper left corner are used to zoom in and zoom out.
  6. Thumbnail List. The right side of the image viewer contains the full thumbnail list for the selected microscope. The list is used to select different images available for the selected microscope. 
  7. Description Area. The description area below the image is used to display relevant information about the image. Metadata about the image is often provided that describes where and when the image was taken and other interesting details.
  8. Image Scale. The image size or image scale is given on the bottom of the image. This is used to show the approximate size or scale of the image or references the image scale already on the micrograph. The relative size or resolution of the image (in percent) at its current zoom level is also shown.
  9. Attribution. The copyright owner or source of the image is shown in the bottom right corner of the Live Data display of the image.