SciView

This AI-generated image is for demonstration only and may differ from the current application.

SciView is a desktop application for working with 2D X-ray scattering data. It gives you a unified interface to open and inspect images, refine calibration, mask problem areas, preview analysis results, and process multiple files.

If you work with X-ray scattering data, SciView helps you move through these tasks in a connected workflow instead of switching between separate tools or writing scripts from scratch.

SciView uses SciAnalysis as its core processing engine for X-ray scattering data.

What you can do in SciView

SciView is organized into tabs, each one helping with a part of the analysis flow:

• Image Browser: open and inspect local detector images
• Tiled Browser: load data from a configured NSLS-II Tiled catalog
• Calibration: check and adjust beam center and detector geometry
• Mask Editing: hide bad regions such as gaps, beamstop shadows, and hot pixels
• Reduction: preview 1D reductions such as circular or sector averages
• Transform: preview reciprocal-space views such as qx-qz, qr-qz, and q-phi maps
• Batch: run selected SciAnalysis processing protocols on multiple local files
• Info: review the current image and metadata

The tabs are connected, so once you load an image, the app can carry that same image, calibration, and mask information across the workflow.

Getting started

For most users, the easiest way to start is with the launcher script for your system.

Windows

Double-click Launch-SciView-win64.cmd.

If Windows asks whether to install Pixi, choose Y to continue. If the launcher asks you to close it after installation, double-click it again.

macOS and Linux

From the repository folder, use the launcher for your system:

• macOS: ./Launch-SciView-macOS.command
• Linux: ./Launch-SciView-linux.sh

The launcher will install Pixi if needed and prepare the SciView environment automatically. The first launch may take a little longer; later launches should be faster.

Note

The launcher may offer to update SciView. You can safely decline and continue using the installed version. Please note that SciView is under active development, and new features or bug fixes may be available in the latest version. Be prepared to be surprised by new fancy features. 😄

A typical SciView workflow

A normal session usually follows this order:

1. Open an image or scan.
2. Check the image in the viewer and confirm the data look correct.
3. Go to Calibration and refine geometry or beam-center values if needed.
4. Use Mask Editing to exclude regions that should not contribute to the analysis.
5. Preview the result in Reduction or Transform.
6. If needed, send a set of files through Batch processing.
7. Save or export the calibration, mask, or reduced result when it is ready.

For developers

How the project is organized

SciView separates the user interface from the analysis logic. The tab files control what you see and interact with, while the modules under src/sciview handle data access, calibration, masking, reduction, transforms, and batch execution.

Application and shared session

• main.py: starts the Qt application, creates the tabs, and shares the active image, file list, calibration, mask, recipes, and display settings between them
• src/sciview/launchers.py: Python launch entry point used by the Pixi environment
• src/sciview/settings/app_settings.py: application defaults and runtime configuration
• src/sciview/profiles/cms_profile.py: CMS beamline profile, detector defaults, and calibration defaults

User interface

• tabs/: the Image Browser, Tiled Browser, Calibration, Mask Editing, Reduction, Transform, Batch, and Info tabs
• tabs/base_image_tab.py: common image-viewing behavior shared by analysis tabs
• src/sciview/interfaces/stable_qt/: reusable viewers, drawing tools, widgets, and Qt utilities
• src/sciview/interfaces/theme/app_style.py: visual theme, sizing, icons, and layout rules

Analysis and data flow

• src/sciview/processing/: reduction, transform, recipe, batch, and SciAnalysis integration logic
• src/sciview/calibration/: calibration file handling and reference standards
• src/sciview/masking/: mask file handling and mask operations
• src/sciview/sources/: local filesystem and Tiled data access

Setup and documentation

• scripts/: environment setup and platform launcher support

The launcher checks the current Git branch's configured upstream and prompts only when new commits are available. Updates use fast-forward-only merges; branches without an upstream or with diverging commits are not changed. Disable the check with Launch-SciView-win64.cmd -NoAutoPull on Windows, --no-auto-pull on macOS or Linux, or SCIVIEW_AUTO_PULL=0 on any platform.

If something is not working

• If the app does not start, close it and run the launcher for your system again.
• If a tab does not show the image you expected, return to the browser tab and select the file again before switching back.
• If you are using Tiled data, check the connection and login state.
• If a SciAnalysis-related step fails, restart SciView so the launcher can check the environment.
• For manual setup or deeper troubleshooting, use scripts/bootstrap_env.sh.