Exploring Strategies for Efficient Neuron Tracing in EyeWire

Hey guys… :wave:

I have recently been diving deeper into the fascinating world of neuron tracing and have been thoroughly enjoying my experience on EyeWire. The complexity and beauty of the neuronal structures we’re mapping is truly captivating. However, I have encountered some challenges that I believe could benefit from the collective wisdom of this community.

Specifically… I am looking for strategies to enhance my efficiency when tracing neurons, especially when dealing with intricate and overlapping structures. Sometimes, it feels overwhelming to decide where to focus my attention without losing track of the bigger picture. Are there particular techniques or tools you’ve found helpful in identifying key branching points or distinguishing between closely situated neurons?

Additionally, I had love to hear about any resources, tutorials, or guides you recommend for both new and experienced players looking to improve their skills. I believe sharing our experiences can foster a richer understanding of the material we’re working with and ultimately contribute to the greater goal of mapping the brain.

Thanks in advance!

Respected community member! :blush:

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hi
That is a very open question. I think my best advise is to use all of the planes (a and d to change planes) when tracing, it often help a lot too see different perpectives. If there are any missalignments the best choice is often using z -plane.

Also use explore colour so it is easier too see what you are sure about and not. on really complex cubes i often need to do this both one and two times, and then see that i have something wrong and have to start all over again with marking branches that are looking like they don´t belong to trace where they start.

When looking at the 3d picture this should be smooth, any jagged edges probably mean there is something missing. If a branch is starting at 90 degree on another branch and perhaps goes in both directions this is a warning flag.

if there are any mentors online in chat they can take over your cube if you have one you are really unsure about. Then you can see what they will fokus on.

there are a lot of youtube videoes if you seach after eyewire on how to trace, i would say try anything that says things like merger, misssing branches, and missalignments.

if you feel ready for it and have a good accuracy, a promotion and working as a scout and scythe will help you get a much better understanding of the neuron.

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Hi anon !

Annkri, (one of the best and oldest player here) said most things i would say.
One thing i used to do a lot at my firsts here (few years ago) was to overpaint all around the branch to see in 3D how all braches comes together. It’s really interesting to look at all these branch to understand the consensus.
Then, removing one by one all that not fit. It helped me a lot to understand cells structures.
The thing is to understand how a cell can grow, how thin or thick it can be, where, connections etc
If you are able to understand what is a cell and how it comes, eyewire will become very fun, especially during Events like Marathon !

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