CrysAlis^Pro Tip

Advanced Video Camera Options

Why should I use it?

The advanced video camera settings in CrysAlis^Pro allow you to fine-tune the visualization when the standard lighting setup, with top illumination directed at the sample and backlighting from beneath the goniometer, combined with the current camera settings, does not provide a clear enough view of the crystal for centering. These advanced options also allow you to save customized configurations for specific applications such as photocrystallography, light-sensitive samples, or use with the XtalCheck-S, and to import the appropriate settings whenever needed.

How do I use it?

Open the online version of CrysAlis^Pro. To access the [Crystal Video] interface, press F12 on your keyboard or select Start/Stop, then Start New, and choose Mount. Next, click the Settings button. If you are using an Intelligent Goniometer Head, you will need to also click Video Settings. This will open the [AVT Camera Settings] window, which initially provides only a limited set of options. To unlock additional settings, press Alt + E simultaneously on your keyboard.

Figure 1. Access to all settings within the [AVT Camera Settings] GUI.

Several individual parameters, such as gain, exposure, frame rate, white balance, and pixel format, can be adjusted either automatically or manually, while others are available for manual adjustment only (see Figure 1, right). The settings shown above represent an example from our laboratory’s demo instrument; however, they may vary between laboratories and users depending on individual preferences. Different video camera configurations can be saved and later recalled using the Export Settings and Import Settings options.

By default, for example after a new installation, the [Crystal Video] window appears relatively small, which can make manual crystal centering more difficult, particularly when working with small crystals. Adjusting the binning from 2×2 (software) to 1×1 increases the display size of the video camera image (see Figure 2), improving visibility during centering.

Figure 2. Effect of binning: (top) 2x2(software), (bottom) 1x1.

In the case of light sensitive samples, all light sources inside the diffractometer, including the cabinet, sample, and goniometer lights, should be switched off. This will cause the [Crystal Video] screen to appear completely black. To visualize the crystal mounted on the loop, open the [AVT Camera Settings] window, set the gain to its maximum value of 30, and increase the exposure time (for example, to 5000 ms; see Figure 3, right).

Figure 3. Different video camera settings depending on the crystals’ sensitivity: (left) normal mode, (right) light-sensitive mode.

Note: Please do not forget to switch back to the standard lab settings (not default) after your experiment has finished.