A new image processing software system for structural analysis and contrast enhancement
We report on the development of a new image processing software system SPIDER (System for Processing of Image Data in Electron Microscopy and Related Fields). The need for a user-oriented software system for electron image processing has been previously recognized /1-4/. These systems have in common that they allow users with a minimum amount of computer experience to define complex operations on images.The present system runs under the PDP 11/45 RSX-11D (Digital Equipment Corp.) executive in a multi-user, multi-task environment. Image enhancement of large images (e.g., box convolution and point mapping operations) as well as structural electron microscopy (Fourier operations, 3-d reconstruction) had to be accommodated. Characteristic for the electron microscope application is the need to process series of images closely related to each other (defocus, tilting, and averaging series).In SPIDER, the images are read and transferred by magnetic tape from the microdensitometer to PDP 11 disk files.