Dynamic UI for scan workflows

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/scan_workflows.py

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from openflexure_microscope_server.things.background_detect import (
 )
 from openflexure_microscope_server.things.camera import BaseCamera
 from openflexure_microscope_server.things.camera_stage_mapping import CameraStageMapper
+from openflexure_microscope_server.ui import PropertyControl, property_control_for
 
 SettingModelType = TypeVar("SettingModelType", bound=BaseModel)
 
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@ class ScanWorkflow(Generic[SettingModelType], lt.Thing):
     scan planning, acquisition routine.
     """
 
+    display_name: str = lt.property(default="Base Workflow", readonly=True)
+    ui_blurb: str = lt.property(
+        default="If you see this message, something is wrong.", readonly=True
+    )
+
     _settings_model: type[SettingModelType]
 
     # All workflows must have a set class for scan planning
@@ -106,6 +112,13 @@ class ScanWorkflow(Generic[SettingModelType], lt.Thing):
             "Each specific ScanWorkflow must implement an acquisition routine"
         )
 
+    @lt.property
+    def settings_ui(self) -> list[PropertyControl]:
+        """A list of PropertyControl objects to create the settings in the scan tab."""
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            "Each scan workflow must implement a settings_ui method."
+        )
+
 
 class HistoScanSettingsModel(BaseModel):
     """The settings for a scan with the HistoScanWorkflow.
@@ -129,6 +142,16 @@ class HistoScanWorkflow(ScanWorkflow[HistoScanSettingsModel]):
     the centre position, scanning only where it detects sample.
     """
 
+    display_name: str = lt.property(default="Histo Scan", readonly=True)
+    ui_blurb: str = lt.property(
+        default=(
+            "This scan workflow is optimised for scanning H&E stained biopsies. It"
+            "spirals out from the starting location, scanning only where it detects"
+            "sample. It also works well for many other flat, well-featured samples."
+        ),
+        readonly=True,
+    )
+
     _settings_model = HistoScanSettingsModel
     _planner_cls: type[ScanPlanner] = SmartSpiral
     # Thing Slots
@@ -428,3 +451,24 @@ class HistoScanWorkflow(ScanWorkflow[HistoScanSettingsModel]):
             focus_height = None
 
         return imaged, focus_height
+
+    @lt.property
+    def settings_ui(self) -> list[PropertyControl]:
+        """A list of PropertyControl objects to create the settings in the scan tab."""
+        return [
+            property_control_for(self, "overlap", label="Image Overlap (0.1-0.7)"),
+            property_control_for(
+                self, "skip_background", label="Detect and Skip Empty Fields "
+            ),
+            property_control_for(
+                self, "stack_images_to_save", label="Images in Stack to Save"
+            ),
+            property_control_for(
+                self,
+                "stack_min_images_to_test",
+                label="Minimum number of images to test for focus",
+            ),
+            property_control_for(self, "stack_dz", label="Stack dz (steps)"),
+            property_control_for(self, "autofocus_dz", label="Autofocus Range (steps)"),
+            property_control_for(self, "max_range", label="Maximum Distance (steps)"),
+        ]

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/smart_scan.py

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 """The core sample scanning functionality for the OpenFlexure Microscope.
 
-SmartScan provides sample scanning functionality including automatic background
-detection (via the ``CameraThing``) and automatic path planning via
-`scan_planners`. It manages the directories of past scans via `scan_directories`.
+SmartScan provides sample scanning functionality. This functionality can be customised
+by different ``ScanWorkflow`` Things which control the path planning and acquisition
+routines. It manages the directories of past scans via `scan_directories`.
 It also controls external processes for live stitching composite images, and
 the creation of the final stitched images.
 """
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from typing import (
     Mapping,
     Optional,
     ParamSpec,
+    Self,
     TypeVar,
 )
 
@@ -30,10 +31,11 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel, PlainSerializer
 import labthings_fastapi as lt
 
 from openflexure_microscope_server import scan_directories, stitching
+from openflexure_microscope_server.utilities import coerce_thing_selector
 
 # Things
 from .camera import BaseCamera
-from .scan_workflows import HistoScanWorkflow, ScanWorkflow
+from .scan_workflows import ScanWorkflow
 from .stage import BaseStage
 
 T = TypeVar("T")
@@ -127,10 +129,13 @@ class SmartScanThing(lt.Thing):
 
     _cam: BaseCamera = lt.thing_slot()
     _stage: BaseStage = lt.thing_slot()
-    _workflow: HistoScanWorkflow = lt.thing_slot()
+    _all_workflows: Mapping[str, ScanWorkflow] = lt.thing_slot()
 
     def __init__(
-        self, thing_server_interface: lt.ThingServerInterface, scans_folder: str
+        self,
+        thing_server_interface: lt.ThingServerInterface,
+        scans_folder: str,
+        default_workflow: Optional[str],
     ) -> None:
         """Initialise a SmartScanThing saving to and loading from the input directory.
 
@@ -141,6 +146,36 @@ class SmartScanThing(lt.Thing):
         super().__init__(thing_server_interface)
         self._scan_dir_manager = scan_directories.ScanDirectoryManager(scans_folder)
         self._scan_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._default_workflow = default_workflow
+        self._workflow_name: Optional[str] = None
+
+    def __enter__(self) -> Self:
+        """Open hardware connection when the Thing context manager is opened."""
+        self._workflow_name = coerce_thing_selector(
+            thing_mapping=self._all_workflows,
+            selected=self.workflow_name,
+            default=self._default_workflow,
+        )
+        return self
+
+    # Note that the default detector name is set at init. This is over written if
+    # setting is loaded from disk.
+    @lt.setting
+    def workflow_name(self) -> Optional[str]:
+        """The name of the scan workflow selector."""
+        return self._workflow_name
+
+    @workflow_name.setter
+    def _set_workflow_name(self, name: str) -> None:
+        """Validate and set workflow_name."""
+        if name not in self._all_workflows:
+            self.logger.warning(f"{name} is not a valid scan workflow name.")
+        self._workflow_name = name
+
+    @property
+    def _workflow(self) -> ScanWorkflow:
+        """The active scan workflow object."""
+        return self._all_workflows[self.workflow_name]
 
     _ongoing_scan: Optional[scan_directories.ScanDirectory] = None