Configuration Groups and Presets

Micro-Manager lets you bundle hardware settings into Groups of Configuration Presets.

Each Group contains named Presets that define a set of Device Property values to be applied to the hardware.

Typical Workflow

  1. Add a configuration group (e.g. "Channel") using the Add Group button at the top.
  2. Add a preset to the group (e.g. "DAPI"), by selecting the group and clicking the Add Preset button.
  3. Select device properties to include in the preset (e.g. "Filter Wheel Position", "Light Source Power") using the device property selector at the right.
  4. Set the device properties to desired values for the currently selected preset in the Presets Table at the bottom.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 to add more presets to the group (e.g. "FITC", "Cy3", "Cy5"). You may Duplicate an existing preset to copy its device property values if another preset is similar.

Key Building Blocks

1. Devices

Physical hardware (camera, filter wheel, stage, light source). Each device exposes one or more properties that can be changed or read.

2. Device Properties

A single adjustable parameter on a device (e.g. Exposure, Position).

3. Configuration Presets

A preset is a snapshot of specific values for a set of device properties. Activating a preset sets each device property to its stored value.

For example, you might have a FITC preset that sets the appropriate filter wheel positions and light sources for imaging the FITC channel.

4. Configuration Groups

A configuration group is a collection of presets. It is customary (but not mandatory) for each preset in a group to share the same set of device properties.

For example, you might have a Channel group that includes presets for each optical configuration preset (DAPI, FITC, Cy3, Cy5).