IGT:ToolKit/Navigation-tutorial

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Basic Slicer3 Navigation Tutorial

Overview:

This tutorial uses a tracking simulator to explain how navigation works in Slicer3.

The general IGT navigation system consists of the following components:

• Slicer3 - the base platform
• OpenIGTLink module - a loadable software module plugged into Slicer3
• IGSTK - an interfacing tool for common commercial tracking devices
• A tracking device - such as the NDI Aurora magnetic tracking system

The tracking simulator simulates the tracking device and the IGSTK interfacing software.

Those wishing to connect a real tracking system to Slicer3 should see the Advanced Navigation Tutorial.

Tutorial Materials

• Tutorial slides for the Basic Navigation Tutorial
• Atlas: download the .zip file from either the SPL-PNL Brain Atlas or the SPL Abdominal Atlas
• Tool model (right-click to download)
  • If Windows saves the file as Tool.htm intstead of Tool.vtk: Select Start->Run, type "cmd", type "cd <directory where Tool.htm is>", type "move Tool.htm Tool.vtk"

Software Installation Instructions

Step 1: Install Slicer3

Go to the Slicer3 Install site.

Step 2: Install the OpenIGTLink module

OpenIGTLink is a communication protocol used to interface Slicer3 with external devices, such as trackers, imaging devices and robots. OpenIGTLink is currently distributed as a loadable module for Slicer3.

• Step 2a: You have the choice of either downloading a precompiled version (binary) OR building it yourself from the source code:
  • Precompiled OpenIGTLink module (for use with Slicer 3.2): Download and unzip.
    • For Windows (32-bit).
    • For Mac OS X (x86).
    • For Linux (x86, 32-bit).
    • For Linux (x86, 64-bit).
  • Building the OpenIGTLink module from source code: Find the instructions here
• Step 2b: Copy the binary into your-slicer3-build(install)-directory/lib/Slicer3/Modules. You should see the OpenIGTLink module in the Slicer3 module list once Slicer3 is started.

Step 3: Install the tracker simulator

The tracking simulator will be used to generate and send fake tracking data to Slicer3.

• You have the choice of either downloading a precompiled version (binary) OR building it yourself from the source code:
  • Precompiled tracking simulator: Download and unzip.
    • For Windows (32-bit).
    • For Mac OS X(x86).
    • For Linux (x86, 32-bit).
    • For Linux (x86, 64-bit).
  • Building the tracker simulator from source code: Find the instructions here

People

• Junichi Tokuda
• Haiying Liu
• Nobuhiko Hata
• Danielle Pace