Using the Ruler Tool
You can use the Ruler tool to measure the distance between any two points on an image. Rulers can be drawn in any direction or you can constrain measurements vertically or horizontally. Measurements are shown with the annotation in 2D and 3D views and are also available in the lower section of the Data Properties and Settings panel, as shown below. Additional options available for the Ruler tool include profiling the intensity values along its length (see Profiling Intensity).
Ruler properties and settings
The measurements and tools available for rulers are described in the following table.
| Description | |
|---|---|
|
Thickness |
Indicates the thickness (in screen percentage) of the contour that defines the shape of the annotation, including its control points.
|
|
Control point size |
Indicates the size (in screen percentage) of the annotation's control points.
|
|
Control point appearance |
Let you choose a shape — circle, square, triangle, cross, or "X" — for the annotation's control points.
|
|
Ruler |
Indicates the length of the selected ruler.
|
|
|
Click the Profile tool to profile intensity values along the length of the ruler (see Profiling Intensity). |
How to Add a Ruler
- Maximize the required image, recommended.
- Click the Ruler
tool in the Annotate panel.
If you need to constrain the ruler, press Left Ctrl (or your configured key) to switch to Horizontal Ruler mode or Left Shift (or your configured key) to switch to Vertical Ruler mode. See Configured Actions for Rulers for more information about the actions related to the Ruler tool.
- Click at the starting point of the measurement, drag, and then release the mouse to create the end point.
The length of the ruler is indicated at the starting point and in the bottom section of the Data Properties and Settings panel.
How to Resize a Ruler
If required, you can resize rulers by simply dragging either the start or end control points that define the annotation. See Editing Annotations for more information about control points and how to modify annotations.
- Select the required ruler, either directly in the 2D view or in the top section of the Data Properties and Settings panel.
The ruler control points appear.
- Click inside either the start or end control point and then drag.
The current measurement is updated automatically.
- Click inside the selected control point to de-select it.
How to Move a Ruler
- Select the required ruler, either directly in the 2D view or in the top section of the Data Properties and Settings panel.
- Select the line connecting the two end points and then drag to reposition the ruler.
Configured Actions for Rulers
A number of configured actions and keyboard shortcuts are available for creating and editing rulers. The default settings for these actions are listed in the following table.
| Action | State | Key | Mouse |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Create a ruler in Ruler mode |
OrsStateRuler |
|
Left mouse |
|
Edit a ruler in Ruler mode |
OrsStateRulerEdit |
|
Left mouse |
|
Create a horizontal constrained ruler |
OrsStateRulerHorizontal |
Left Ctrl |
Left mouse |
|
Edit a horizontal ruler |
OrsStateRulerHorizontalEdit |
|
Left mouse |
|
Create a vertical constrained ruler |
OrsStateRulerVertical |
Left Shift |
Left mouse |
|
Edit a vertical ruler |
OrsStateRulerVerticalEdit |
|
Left mouse |
|
Constrain a ruler to be horizontal |
OrsStateRuler |
Left Ctrl |
|
|
Constrain a ruler to be vertical |
OrsStateRuler |
Left Shift |
|
|
Switch to Ruler mode |
|
R |
|
