At the core of the gene-expression database are a time series of grey-level reconstructions of the mouse embryo with every voxel identified as part as an anatomical component. By this means the gene-expression database can be mapped into a common geometric space or ``standard mouse'' and therefore enable search and comparison of the complex expression patterns. The 3D painting program MAPaint is one of a number of tools to assist the creation of this atlas and the mapping of the anatomical structures.

The program allows the definition of arbitrarily complex 3D spatial domains by user interaction either directly by ``painting'' the reference image or by using the image processing and analysis tools as a form of ``power-assist''. The program can be used for defining any spatially organised data within the 3D space and in particular will be one of the means by which gene- expression will be entered into the database.

The current version can be used in conjunction with the Edinburgh Mouse Atlas CD-Rom which provides the 3D reconstructions and the mapped anatomy. It can be run either to define the anatomy or to use the anatomy to define new 3D domains (e.g. gene-expression) to be saved in a form suitable for submission to the gene-expression database.

The underlying concepts and geometry of the paint program is described in a technical report available in html or pdf. Help for the user is provided via a set of html pages which are displayed on a netscape browser on the workstation running MAPaint. Click here for the help page and mini-manual that are on the CD-ROM.

The source code of MAPaint will not be public domain but may be available to allow porting to other architectures and operating systems. Visit the CD-ROM page or the ftp site for versions of the MAPaint binary.