Input data

BigTrace supports 3D composite multicolor images/stacks + (optional) timelapse stored as:

• TIFF files;
• proprietary BioFormats readable formats (.lif/.czi etc);
• HDF5/XML BDV files.

If the data comes in the format of TIFF file, all of it will be loaded to RAM/GPU memory (one time-point at a time).

When working with BioFormats, by default the data will be loaded as a "virtual stack" or "lazy-loaded". I.e. the data shown on the 3D canvas will be read from the disk "on demand" and cached, depending on what you are looking at.
If you are working with Zeiss CZI files (coming from any microscope), it is recommended to install "Quick Start CZI Reader" extension for BioFormats. That would increase loading speed a lot.

In case one of the options above produces slow and not very responsive result (or occupies a lot of memory),
it is highly recommended to first Convert large dataset to BDV format, before opening them in BigTrace.
It should improve the browsing experience.