View Add/Edit Patient Images screen, Image Effects screen. View Video, 1 min. 43 sec.

Image Comments
If you want to make some special notes or comments about a particular image, click the Image Comments button. It will pop up a window allowing you to enter unlimited comments. After entering comments the button’s background will turn red indicating a comment is available for viewing for this image.

Image Effects
If you are not satisfied with the appearance of your image, Diamond Dental Software offers several imaging effects to make your image more viewable. Click on the Image Effects button to open the Image Effects screen. There are eleven effects you can apply to your image. These effects include: Light Balance, Auto Contrast, Equalize, Color Balance, Color Intensity, Sharpen, Soften, Unsharp Mask, Despeckle, Median, and Negate Image.
Applying effects may be used to permanently change an image, or you may apply effects temporarily for the purpose of diagnostic examination. For example, you may want to increase the brightness and contrast of an x-ray to get a better look at a dark area, then put it back to its original state. These effects will now briefly be discussed.

Light Balance
Click on the Light Balance button to open the Brightness/Contrast/Gamma Adjustment window. As you move the slider controls on this screen you will see the image change in the Image Effects window. At any time you can click the Reset button to undo any changes that have been made.
Adjust the Brightness, Contrast, or Gamma sliders until you achieve the desired effect. Take a look at the full mouth x-ray example. The full mouth x-ray shown on the left was dark and dull. The right shows the same set with the brightness and contrast punched up.

Gamma is another measure of brightness. Move its slider to the right and the image gets brighter. Move it to the left and the image gets darker. The Gamma slider will brighten or darken the image on a different scale than that of the Brightness slider. For example, Macintosh monitors are brighter than Windows PC monitors. Macintosh monitors are set to a screen gamma of 1.8. Windows monitors are set to a screen gamma of 2.2. This means that if someone is viewing what looks like a well lighted image on their Macintosh and then emails that image to your Windows PC computer, that same image will appear darker. If you had the two machines side by side you could see what gamma setting within Diamond Dental Software would be needed to correct images between a Mac and a PC. Another difference in Gamma might be seen between your monitor and your printer. Maybe when you print what looks like a well lighted image, it always comes out too dark on the printout. If you know what the Gamma difference is between your monitor and your printer, you could make corrections for this. We include the Gamma control for completeness. The Brightness control essentially does the same thing.

If the Update Image checkbox is checked, the changes to the image will be applied continually as you are moving the sliders. If you uncheck this checkbox an Apply button will appear. The changes will not be displayed until you click this Apply button. If the image is very large, real time changes can be slow. In that case, uncheck the Update Image checkbox to have the effects only take place when you click Apply. If the image is not very large, keep this checkbox checked to see your changes taking place as you move the sliders. This adjuster screen is typical of other Effects Adjustor screens. When you are finished with your modifications click OK to close the adjuster screen. You will be back at the Image Effects screen with the modified image displayed. On the Image Effects screen you still have the option to click Reset to undo any changes you made. If you wish to keep the changes click Apply. The Image Effects screen will close and you will be back at the Add/Edit Patient Images screen. Even when you have returned to the Add/Edit Patient Images screen your changes are not made permanent until you click the Save (diskette) button.