OSA ISP Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is OSA ISP software?
2. Is the OSA ISP software free?
3. When I click on a "View" link in a PDF file, nothing happens.
4. When I click on a "View" link in a PDF file, the PDF file in my browser disappears. How can I get back to the PDF file?
5. ISP isn't working on my Mac. What should I do?
6. How do I contact OSA staff with questions?
7. Can other applications be used for viewing the ISP image data?
8. What is an ISP Session File?
9. What is MIDAS?
10. Can I download and view OSA ISP data locally?
11. Why are both high- and low-resolution datasets provided?
12. Can I use data from an OSA ISP for my own research?

What is OSA ISP software?

OSA ISP is an image viewing application developed by OSA—The Optical Society—in cooperation with Kitware, Inc., and the National Library of Medicine. The software allows interactive viewing of a wide range of 2D and 3D image data formats including DICOM, TIFF, and JPEG images. Authors can use the tool to build custom views of image data that can be saved, integrated with peer-reviewed articles, and shared with readers through the OSA journals. See the OSA ISP Help Manual

Is the OSA ISP software free?

Access to full OSA ISP authoring functionality is freely available for 30 days following activation. After 30 days, the software reverts to reader mode. In reader mode, one can interactively view data associated with OSA ISP articles but cannot load other data or use the authoring tools. Authors who need an extended license to use for preparing an OSA journal article should contact OSA staff.

When I click on a "View" link in a PDF file, nothing happens

For ISP links to work properly, you must have the OSA ISP software installed, and you must use Acrobat 7 or later. The following article describes how to change the behavior so PDF articles are opened up in a separate Adobe Reader window: http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=331025. See the section that starts with "Configuring the browser to open PDF files in an Acrobat window." Forcing the PDF to open in a separate Adobe Window may resolve problems with browser and Acrobat behavior. Another option is to save the PDF article locally and view it outside of a web browser.

When I click on a "View" link in a PDF file, the PDF file in my browser disappears. How can I get back to the PDF file?

The Adobe PDF Reader has a setting that allows you to specify what should happen when you click on a PDF link. The following article describes how to change the behavior so PDF articles are opened up in a separate Adobe Reader window: http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=331025. See the section that starts with "Configuring the browser to open PDF files in an Acrobat window." Another option is to save the PDF article locally and view it outside of a web browser.

ISP isn't working on my Mac. What should I do?

Try these steps to get ISP working on a Macintosh:

1. Download either Mac PowerPC or Mac i386 version base on your system from the ISP Software page.
2. Open an ISP PDF article and click on an ISP visualization link such as "View 1".
3. Clicking on a visualization link should automatically download a file such as "View1.vsp" to your computer. However, it will probably default to your Downloads folder on your Hard Drive, as opposed to your desktop. In clicking "View 1," the desired file will not automatically load into the ISP software.

ON YOUR MAC, once you locate the file "View 1," double click on it, or drag it onto the ISP icon. Either method should open the View1.vsp file right away.

How do I contact OSA staff with questions?

Questions about the OSA ISP software can be directed to ISPHelp@osa.org or (202) 416-1938.

Can other applications be used for viewing the ISP image data?

We recommend use of the free OSA ISP software for viewing ISP image datasets. With OSA ISP software, readers be able to view and explore the data through the same perspective as the authors, editors, and reviewers. However, the source data as provided by the author is available in the MIDAS repository and can be loaded into any capable software application. Tabular data, video files, and other media associated with a manuscript must be viewed through appropriate applications.

What is an ISP Session File?

Authors can save customized views of their data as OSA ISP Sessions Files. The Session Files instruct the OSA ISP software to re-create the author's rotations, annotations, measurements, etc., and display them for readers. OSA ISP journal articles have links directly to ISP Session Files.

What is MIDAS?

MIDAS is a searchable online repository of the datasets and data descriptions associated with an ISP article. Through MIDAS, readers can access authors' source data and custom data views.

Can I download and view OSA ISP data locally?

Datasets displayed in OSA ISP software are saved on the user's local computer and can be accessed offline. It is also possible to download an entire data collection for an article from the article's MIDAS page. Both high- and low-resolution versions of the data collections are available.

Why are both high- and low-resolution datasets provided?

The OSA ISP software is designed to provide a fast initial data view. To achieve this, both high- and low-resolution versions of the data are prepared. The low-resolution data is served up first by default while the high-resolution downloads in the background. Entire data collections can also be downloaded in either high- or low-resolution formats from the MIDAS article page.

Can I use data from an OSA ISP for my own research?

Datasets available through published OSA ISP articles may be used for research purposes, provided that Author(s) are given proper credit as the source of the data, in a manner consistent with generally accepted scientific principles. See Terms of Use for OSA ISP Datasets for details.