Signals Image Artist: Image naming conventions when downloading using SImA Loader

When downloading image data using the SImA Loader, users may encounter different naming conventions depending on the original data source. This article explains how image naming works in SImA downloads.

The SImA Loader preserves the original naming convention of the source database or acquisition system. SImA does not alter or rename image files during the upload or download process. The image filenames will match those used in the original source system (e.g., Harmony, Columbus, or other supported platforms).

System-Specific Naming Behaviours:

1. Harmony Integration:
   • Harmony 5.2 and below: When transferring directly from Harmony to SImA, images are downloaded with non-human readable names (e.g., 114-103-143-712-1112-3-44-159.tiff). This occurs because SImA retrieves images directly from the Harmony datastore where they are stored with internal database identifiers.
   • Harmony 5.3 and above: Images maintain human-readable format names (e.g., r01c03f02p01-ch01t01.tiff) throughout the transfer process.
2. Other Acquisition Systems:
   • Each system has its own naming convention that will be preserved when downloading via SImA Loader.

To anticipate the naming convention of downloaded images, users should familiarise themselves with how their specific acquisition system and version names files internally.