Use Case

Internal and external scientist users would like more information about, and control over, which scale level of their multiscale OME-Zarr images is loaded in Vol-E. Currently, we pick scale levels automatically based on a set memory limit, then in some circumstances we offset to a higher level (2D modes, where we can use the fact that a smaller range of data is required to load at higher resolution) or a lower level (playback, when we want to prioritize load speed over quality).

Solution

Design new UI to give users the ability to control which multiscale level to load.

Questions to consider:

• Does this appear as a dialog before an image is opened (like AGAVE)? In the main app UI, allowing levels to be switched on-the-fly? Both?
• How much control over scale level offset behavior (described above) should we offer to users?
• How much metadata should we show users about the selected resolution level? Can/should we include an estimate of the memory required to load a scale level, like AGAVE?

I made this sketch of a possible design for the "on-the-fly" case, which might live as a new category in the "advanced settings" panel. I think a few of the design ideas in it are actually bad (some are good!), but they serve to give a sense of the design space: