Simple Structure Builder © 2023. The SimpleStructureBuilder, herein software tool, is a training tool meant to teach script automation for the Clinical Automation with Varian APIs training course. See course description here. The code is delivered through an available compiled download and open-source code for learning purposes. The tool may be updated as needs arise in the course. The software tool is not intended for clinical use. Clinicians may choose to validate the code for clinical use as it may have some clinical utility. The completelness and accuracy of the software is to be determined by the qualified clinician. If users find errors in the development of the Simple Structure Builder, please submit an issue in github or email the develop directly at [email protected]. Gateway Scripts or Matthew Schmidt or any affiliated organizations is not liable for structures created with this software or any derivatives from this software.
Launching the structure builder brings the user to the following UI:
The UI for the structure builder only has 4 buttons
- Import JSON formatted structure builder template
- Export current structure builder steps to JSON template
- Add a new step toward building a new structure
- Execute the structure builder by running current steps
Steps can be added to the structure builder template by clicking the icon [C]
Each step has a number of different components
- Result: Id of the structure to be created.
- Base Structure: Id of the structure on which to perform the operation
- Operation: Boolean operation of margin operation to be performed.
- Margin or Target Structure: Allows the user to set the margin, or the structure on which the boolean operation should be performed
Some structure steps can be labelled as temporary.
Temporary Structures are those that should not be saved, and should not be visible in the Treatment Planning System, but they are necessary for generating the expected structure.
Once the Run all steps button is pressed, the user is prompted to save changes 
The user can review their contours. Remember to review all contours for completeness.
Note: By default, the Simple Structure Builder will not overwrite structures that have DICOM types of PTV, GTV, CTV, or ORGAN. This can be changed in the configuration, but the tool is not meant to overwrite hand-drawn OARs. Please take care to make sure not to overwrite anyone else's work.
As a stand-alone executable, the source code will run best against a research system, where Eclipse and Visual Studio can co-exist. Clone the code from github. For instructions on how to clone the code please see instructions for cloning a repository. The code requires an injected structureset to run. The developer can choose the structure set to be loaded into the application
First, go to the StructureBuilder properties
In the Debug section of the properties, the patient and structure set information can be injected into the Command line arguments. The order for this argument is "PatientId;ImageId;StructureSetId"
To download the code from the Gateway Scripts website, go to Gateway Code Click on the download button under the Simple Structure Builder
The download page will ask some question regarding the person downloading the file and request an agreement for the end user.
After submission of the form, the link will appear for downloading the zip file with the compiled code.
Note: When downloading the zip file, the user may need to go to the zip file properties, and unblock the files prior to extraction
Right mouse click and extract the files. In the image example below, the compiled code files are being stored in a subfolder of the Published Scripts folder. This will make the code most easily accessible.
Once the code extraction is completed, enter the Resources folder. Copy the file StructureBuilderLauncher.cs and paste the file into the PublishedScripts folder. This step is to make the script more visible from Eclipse
Update the AppExePath to path of the executable file using the following steps:
- Open the file StructureBuilderLauncher.cs
- Enter the folder where the compiled code was extracted. Hold down the shift key, and right moust click the file StructureBuilder.exe. Select the option Copy as Path
- Paste the exe path into the StructureBuilderLauncher file at the location where it states put exe path here. Note: the copied path contains the double quote symbols (""). Please be sure to paste over the existing quotes (i.e. there should only be one double-quote symbol on either side of the exe path
Open Eclipse/External Beam Planning. Make sure to open a patient and structure set as these are input arguments to the applicaiton
Welcome to the Structure Builder
