In 2012 ASPEX approached Daedalus to redesign the user interface for the Perception Suite that controls their Scanning Electron Microscopes/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy machines. The profiles of their users had broadened significantly from primarily expert scientists and researchers to include high school students, industrial quality control inspectors and other groups less concerned with the perfect image than getting an image sufficient for their spcific workflow.
Efforts were made to modernize the application, subdue the visual volume of the application relative to the image, and support both "novice" as well as expert users.
In this first screenshot we see the colapsed tools on the right, with automatic settings and settings such as "Excellent/Better/Best" Image Quality. Other features include HUD style overlays for frequently used controls on the left and a floating ruler.
Once the user selects to expand the tools on the right, the fine grained controls suited for expert users are disclosed.
Along the bottom are third levels controls and storage.
A live image browser with previous images was added.
Significant updates were designed for the EDX Spectra functionality, including floating loupes with sprecta targeting and independent digital zoom, all integrated into the main image display (it was previously separate).
I designed a novel way to control the separate backscatter emitters; dragging the "sun" changed the shadow cast by the pin in the center of the detector control of the bottom, useful when trying to illuminate specific sample topography.
