GitBook: [master] 2 pages and 5 assets modified

SUMMARY.md

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   * [Working with cameras](usage/scene-1/working-with-cameras.md)
 * [Using Notebooks](usage/using-notebooks.md)
 * [Videos, animations and exporting to html](usage/videos-animations-and-exporting-to-html.md)
+* [Brainrender GUI](usage/brainrender-gui.md)
 
 ## Info
 

usage/brainrender-gui.md

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Brainrender GUI
+
+Brainrender now comes with a GUI \(graphical user interface\) for accessing brainrender's functionality without need for writing custom python code.
+
+{% hint style="info" %}
+Currently `bg-brainrender-gui` only supports some of `brainrender`'s core functionality, but we are happy to extend `bg-brainrender-gui` should there be interest in this.
+{% endhint %}
+
+The source code for `bg-brainrender-GUI` can be found at [Github repository](https://github.com/brainglobe/bg-brainrender-gui) where you can also open issues to ask questions or report bugs.
+
+### Usage
+
+You can **start** `brainrender-gui` directly from your terminal with the command
+
+```text
+brainrender-gui
+```
+
+Once the GUI is started it will open a window visualizing the `root` mesh of the atlas selected and several buttons to add and remove elements to the `brainrender` scene.
+
+![](../.gitbook/assets/image%20%286%29.png)
+
+{% hint style="success" %}
+To s**pecify which atlas to use:** use the **`-a`** argument when calling `brainrender-gui`:
+
+```text
+brainrender-gui -a allen_human_500um # the GUI will use the human atlas
+```
+{% endhint %}
+
+### Adding actors
+
+The first set of buttons is used to add elements to the `brainrender` scene:
+
+* `Add brain regions`: clicking on this button opens a new window where  you can input the names of the brain regions to be added to the brainrender scene. 
+* `Add cells`: clicking on this button opens a dialog to select and load a file containing cell coordinates data \(e.g. a `csv` file\). 
+* `Add from file`: clicking on this button opens a dialog to select and load a file for a 3d mesh \(e.g. a `.obj` file\). 
+
+### Editing actors
+
+Whenever an actor is added to the scene, its name will be added to the `Actors` list. The list can also be used to edit rendered actors:
+
+* Double clicking an actor's name **will toggle the visibility** of the corresponding mesh. 
+* A single click on an actor's name selects it for **editing** with **the `alpha`** \(transparency\) and **`color`** options below the actors list. Once an actor is selected from the `Actors` list, its color and alpha will appear in the text boxes below. Editing the values in these textboxes change the corresponding actor's properties.
+
+
+
+### The hierarchy view
+
+Pressing the `Show structures tree` button at the bottom right of the window shows a panel with the hierarchy view of brain regions in the selected atlas: ![](screenshots/app2.png)
+
+![](../.gitbook/assets/image%20%287%29.png)
+
+The hierarchy view can be used to explore the structures hierarchy as well as to add brain regions to the scene: clicking on a region's tick box will add it to the list of actors in the scene. Press the same button again to hide the hierarchy view.
+
+
+
+### Taking screenshots
+
+Under the main canvas there is a button that can be used to save a screenshot with the current view of the `brainrender` scene. 
+
+To specify where to save the screenshot, use the `-o` argument when calling `brainrender-gui`:
+
+```text
+brainrender-gui -o path/to/screenshots/folder
+```
+
+
+
+### Camera control
+
+To the right of the screenshots button is a panel of buttons used to set the camera position in the `brainrender Scene:`
+
+* `Reset` resets the camera to what is defined as default in `brainrender` \(i.e. `brainrender.CAMERA`\).
+* `Top` moves the camera so that the brain is viewed from the top
+* `Side1` and `Side2` move the camera to view the brain from the side \(left and right sides\).
+* `Front` moves the camera to view the brain from the front.
+
+
+