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Reading FilmX Picture Files?
bzlman asks: "I just broke my finger and instead of conventional x-rays, the ER gave me a CD with huge picture files on it from the company called FilmX from sorna.com. Unfortunately, the software to read the pics is for Windows, and the file type for the images (each about 10 MB) is 'command line' (the files are of no conventional type). I've tried opening the files with every image program for Mac OS X and Classic, to no avail. These are high quality images I want to see, and I hope someone can help me find a Mac OS X way to view them. Thanks."
Hmm... their homepage says they are "a dicom solution".
A versiontracker search for "dicom" under MacOSX returns these programs.
Or you could just use the ubiquitous GraphicConverter which handles just about everything, including dicom images iirc.
"The worst tyrannies were the ones where a governance required its own logic on every embedded node." - Vernor Vinge
It says on the freakin' link you supplied what the format is: DICOM
Use Google and find plenty of viewers (ImageMagick works, for instance).
It would've taken you less typing then your slashdot story.
I would warn against a google for 'filmx mac' if you are in a sensitive environment. Are you sure that was a finger they x-rayed???
Honey, I was just trying to help some guy out on slashdot REALLY!
The viewer is on the CD. Not the best solution, but Virtual PC should allow you to view it.
I am living proof of the Peter Principle
I know nothing about the specific file format being used here, but the fact that the images are quite large might suggest that they contain an uncompressed representation of the image data, possibly viewable with a raw image data loader (such as the GIMP plugin called raw.c).
Of course, even if that is the case, it might not be possible to get a decent picture from it, but it's worth a shot.
the pictures may be in DICOM format, which is the standard for radiographic images. Either of these programs will read that format and allow you to manipulate the image series.
I really don't care if I burn Karma here.
Why is Cliff intent on turning apple.slashdot.org into a tech support forum? I mean I could probably point to at least 10 stories he has posted in the last month or two which are basically some random person who needs help with an OS X issue that a two second search on Google or VT or the Macworld of Macfixit forums or any other number of places would have yielded the answer to.
My friend gave me a shiny flat object. He said it's a "Seedy" and I should put it in my Mac. But my Mac only has a small 3.5-inch slot on the lower right.
What do I do? Should I cut the seedy in half or what?
Thanks!
I have to assume you checked the type of the file by pointing at it in the Finder.
Pull up a Terminal and enter 'file name-of-one-of-the-files' without the quotes. It will tell you.
It's likely to say DICOM Medical Imaging Data, but we'll see.
Search for a reader for the format it suggests.
then you're a slut, not a whore. =)
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
A few other commenters seem to have found the answer for you already... but if this were a totally non-standard, proprietary format that was impossible to view on anything but Windows, I can still think of possible solutions. E.g., from what I understand Windows is becoming a fairly widespread operating system nowadays; perhaps you have a neighbor, or a friend, or a relative, or a coworker, who has one of these unusual machines? :)
Seriously, though, you should complain. All they have to do is include a readme file that says "Users of other operating systems can open these images using any image viewer with DICOMM support" or something along those lines. It's not hard -- but they may not have bothered yet simply because they aren't getting any real complaints. It's like all of the websites out there that are only tested on IE. No complaints, so why change?
Fortunately, as more people use Firefox, and (possibly?) more people use Macs, the common understanding that you're "safe" to only include support for Windows and IE will start to disappear.
what you are looking for is an open-source DICOM Viewer. OpenRad is a great source for open source radiology projects and information.
Many programs will view DICOM files these days, even the most excellent and venerable ImageMagik. Osirix is an excellent tool for visualising and analysing medical images, volumetric data, and will let you manipulate the data, view in 3D and all sorts of funky things.
just use virtual pc to install a crap version of windows on your mac. i have been using dvdbackup for mac and could not find a comparable version of dvdshrink (except for dvd2one which is expensive). even through emulation on a g4, the new virtual pc is pretty fast. encoding an entire dvd in 18 minutes... so if you can get past the "puke" factor of allocating some hard disk space for windows, i think it is a fantastic product. also you can use it to try out "test" operating systems like windows media center from winbeta.org or even the new fedora 3 before putting it on your main server. now i just wonder if i can run some old legacy solaris apps? :)
http://irad.sourceforge.net/
Use Easy DVD Copy on OS X.
This is a Java app that will handle about any image file format including DICOM images. Consult the plugins for DICOM support.
http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/
you casually suggest "using" (as opposed to buying) a microsoft product: VPC. You use dvdshrink, because the alternative is "too expensive!" You might as well fly the jolly roger and wear an eyepatch. You're probably one of those mp3 ipod pirates, too! Ya might wanna think of posting this kind of information as AC. Although its reasonable to not expect to hear from them...after all, nobody expects the DMCA Inquisition!
I don't know if its an attempt to publicize the format, the imaging company, or application that reads this format. The conventional press has become a dumping ground for public relations blather, and now Slashdot suffers from this covert advertising, too. Even if its advertising for "free software," unless its an objective review, I don't want to hear about it, and I'm not going to take the time to search google. I might as well just browse Google sci/tech news
Maybe the app is free, maybe its open source, I don't care. I don't know if you're just another sucker, but this whole article reeks of a setup to publicize something. I'm not going to look for ImageMagick, I'm not going to follow the freakin' link, and I'm not going to search Google. Now can I have some real news please?
I've hear of wasting time on /., but you've taken time-wasting to a new level. My hats off to you, a true slacker!
My hats off to you, a true slacker!
Yep, we've all got goals.
I imagine that the 8-10 minutes it took to look up those results is pretty insignificant compared to the amount of time you must have already spent looking for similar information.
Dude, seriously, all these guys that are giving you crap are just a bunch of Mac snobs. They've been working with their computers so long that they don't remember what it was like to feel helpless when encountered by a strange file. Sure you could've done a little research, but that's not your fault.
What is the Apple section for anyway? Is it just for a bunch of flamers to sit around bitching? Or are we here to actually help the Mac user community grow a little?
Try Graphic Converter, it should be in your Applications Folder or Utilities folder. If that fails, OsiriX has an open source, OSX compatible viewer.
Sorry about my compatriots here, we'll try and be more tolerant next time.
Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Graphic Converter opens this kind of file with no problem. Photoshop CS does not. Go figure.
2. They are HIS medical files. No privacy violation for a medical provider to give you your OWN information.
No wonder you posted AC. Idiot.
http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/staff/cr1/d icom.html
I use OsiriX http://homepage.mac.com/rossetantoine/osirix/Index 2.html on my Mac daily at the Hospital. It's the best Mac OS X DICOM solution available. What's more, it's free and GPL!
Spock
The best place to look for programs that read the many different medical imaging file formats is idoimaging.com.
You'll find a ton of programs and libraries for reading DICOM files there on any major platform.