Below are a few overview pages to help you get started using VFB:
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Getting Started
How to use the Virtual Fly Brain 3D browser
- 1: Starting to explore VFB
- 2: This is the Slice Viewer tab
- 3: This is the 3D Viewer tab
- 4: This is the Term Info tab
- 5: This is the Term Context tab
- 6: This is the Circuit Browser tab
1 - Starting to explore VFB
Text search and query tools and how to explore the 3D images.
VFB integrates data curated from the literature with image data from many bulk sources. The search system allows you to search for neurons and neuroanatomical structures using almost any name found in the literature. The query system can identify neurons innervating any specified neuropil or fasciculating with any specified tract. It also allows queries for genes, transgenes and phenotypes expressed in any brain region or neuron. Search and query results combine referenced textual descriptions with 3D images and links to originating data sources. VFB features tens of thousands of 3D images of neurons, clones and expression patterns, registered to standard template brains. Any combination of these images can be viewed together. A BLAST-type query system (NBLAST) allows you to find similar neurons and drivers starting from a registered neuron.
Search for the item you’re interested in
Hover to explore brain regions in the Stack Viewer
Query for related terms and images
2 - This is the Slice Viewer tab
The Slice Viewer displays single slices of the template, showing all selected painted anatomy, neurons and expression patterns
Hover to explore, click to list or shift + click to add painted anatomy
Use the arrow icons or scroll with the mouse to move through the stack
Home resets your view
Use the zoom icons or pinch gesture to zoom
Toggles through orthogonal views
Toggles the slice position on the 3D Viewer on/off
3 - This is the 3D Viewer tab
The 3D Viewer displays 3D models of the template, showing all selected painted anatomy, neurons and expression patterns
Point and click to select neurons/expression
Click and drag with the mouse or use the directional icons to rotate/move
Use the zoom icons or scroll with the mouse to zoom in/out
Home resets your view
The camera icon starts/stops a rotation animation of the scene
The sphere icon toggles wireframes on/off
4 - This is the Term Info tab
Term Info displays information on the currently selected painted anatomy region, neuron, expression pattern or non-image term definitions
Click on thumbnails to add that image to the viewer
Click on terms to select them
Click on download items to begin downloading
Run term related queries
5 - This is the Term Context tab
Term Context displays grapical information on the currently selected term’s location or classification
Home resets your view
Use the zoom icons or scroll with the mouse to zoom in/out
Click to refresh to the current focus term
Select either the location or the classification for the current term
6 - This is the Circuit Browser tab
The Circuit Browser allows you to find the strongest paths from one neuron (the source neuron) to another (the target neuron).
The ‘strongest’ paths are the shortest/highest weighted paths. Paths are arranged from the ‘strongest’ at the bottom to the ‘weakest’ at the top. A detailed explanation for the algorithm used to determine path strengths can be found here.
Search for the source neuron to start from (Note: query is directional)
Search for the target neuron
Maximum number of paths to return (only the ‘strongest’ paths will be returned)
A minimum weight for the synapse count of each connection can be applied, paths containing individual connections below this minimum will not be returned
