Generating 3D and 3D-like animations of strongly uneven surface microareas of bloodstains from small series of partially out-of-focus digital SEM micrographs
There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
When dealing with microscopic still images of some kinds of samples, the out-of-focus
problem represents a particularly serious limiting factor for the subsequent generation
of fully sharp 3D animations. In order to produce fully-focused 3D animations of strongly
uneven surface microareas, a vertical stack of six digital secondary-electron SEM
micrographs of a human bloodstain microarea was acquired. Afterwards, single combined
images were generated using a macrophotography and light microscope image post-processing
software. Subsequently, 3D animations of texture and topography were obtained in different
formats using a combination of software tools. Finally, a 3D-like animation of a texture-topography
composite was obtained in different formats using another combination of software
tools. By one hand, results indicate that the use of image post-processing software
not concerned primarily with electron micrographs allows to obtain, in an easy way,
fully-focused images of strongly uneven surface microareas of bloodstains from small
series of partially out-of-focus digital SEM micrographs. On the other hand, results
also indicate that such small series of electron micrographs can be utilized for generating
3D and 3D-like animations that can subsequently be converted into different formats,
by using certain user-friendly software facilities not originally designed for use
in SEM, that are easily available from Internet. Although the focus of this study
was on bloodstains, the methods used in it well probably are also of relevance for
studying the surface microstructures of other organic or inorganic materials whose
sharp displaying is difficult of obtaining from a single SEM micrograph.