Autotrace

Using AutoTrace

AutoTrace is a program used to take Ultrasound tongue images and trace the tongue. Data points are put along a fan-shaped grid over the image of the tongue in order to track the movement of the tongue during speech.

Locating AutoTrace Program

• Open Program

  

Open AutoTrace by navigating to the matlab-version folder and typing the command python AutoTrace.py

Using Autotrace to trace manually

WARNING: The last several versions of Autotrace have a bug that causes points to be dropped from the edges of frames after each time it is launched. It is highly recommended to use the webtracer instead

Locating AutoTrace Program

• Open Program

  

Open AutoTrace by navigating to the matlab-version folder and typing the command python AutoTrace.py

Adding Images to Autotrace

• To import images, click open button found on top left of program

• To import multiple images: select first image, hold shift, and select last desired image

• Once images are selected, click open

Viewing Images in Autotrace

• Ensure that there is a trace file with the format .traced.txt in the same folder as the images

• Import the images you want to view

• Click the arrow pointing to the right, next to the "open network" button.

• You will be prompted to "Enter Tracer Information". Anything you enter will change the name on the tracing files, but will not change the content of the files. Click OK.

• Use the arrow buttons at the top of the screen to navigate between images

Beginning Tracing

• Select one image and click view found on top center of program

• A new window will open

• When prompted, enter tracer information (first and last initials)

Setting the Grid

• If yellow grid lines are not aligned with edges of image, click set grid (at top of program) to remove the lines

  

  An incorrect example: grid-lines are not aligned with edges of image

• Draw new grid lines from bottom left edge to top left edge and bottom right edge to top right edge

  if drawn from right to left, the grid will be inverted and you will need to back out by closing out of the window and returning to adding images section

• The grid can only be set once while the image is open

  if a mistake is made, you must back out to redraw the grid

Creating the Trace

Image should appear as black with white line(s) splitting mouth into upper palate and tongue

• Hold left mouse button and trace line of tongue

• Place dots starting from either left or right

Important: dots should be just below the white line, on the border between the white and black of the tongue image <br /> Tip: it can help to draw rough arch, then fine tune dot placements (only one dot will appear per gridline)

• If needed, hold right mouse button and move over any existing dots to erase

• When finished with image, click next at top of program; work will automatically be saved

• Old traces will be saved in separate folder

• Once work is saved, it can accessed in recent traces folder

  The folder is automatically named with tracer information of all tracers who have placed traces in folder using AutoTrace

Tracing Guidelines

• Dots should be just below white border

• If the tongue border is unclear, do not place dots

• If double tongue occurs, choose lower line (upper is usually palate)

• If no distinct lines can be made out, the image may be “bad” and be untraceable

  Untraceable image

• Some images may be distorted; if this occurs, do not attempt to trace

Checking Output

A complete tongue tracing should now have a correct grid and accurately traced tongue image

Desired result

Using Autotrace to Trace Automatically

• Ensure that the ROI_config.txt file is in the same directory as the one containing your test images.
• Click the second icon from the left, "Load Network"
• Select the network.mat file in the savefiles directory in your Autotrace folder and click open.
• Click the leftmost icon, "Load Images", select a test set of images and click open
• Click the "gears" icon to begin tracing the images. At this point, Matlab will start. You will see a notification window when it is finished.

Exiting

• Once finished with work, exit program, all work will be saved and you will be returned to initial AutoTrace screen