 |
 |
|
|
Data Array Chart |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Data Array Chart DescriptionThe line chart shows you how a variable changes over time. You can see the value from 20 ms ago and compare them to the current value. The Data array is mostly for comparing the value of a number of variables at the current time. It does not keep any historical data. The main purpose for this chart is to allow you to compare the output from numerous, similar objects at the same time. A good example of this is comparing the membrane voltage of neurons in a sensory sheet or a population of neurons. Seeing the relationship between the neurons can be quite difficult using a line chart, but when you display it using an array of bars you can clearly see how a receptive field of neurons responds to a stimulus.The user specifies the number of columns and rows they want for the data chart. Then they need to add a data column for each entry. They do this using the Data Array Configuration Dialog. See the section on Configuring the Data Array for more information. The user also has the option of coloring the bars based on their height. This makes it easier to compare the relative heights of the bars. They can do this by setting a base, min, and max value. If the height of a bar is at the base value it colors the bar white. If it is greater than the base value its color is set somewhere between the white and red using a linear gradient. If it is less than the base value its color is set somewhere between the white and blue using a linear gradient. Users also have a great deal of flexibility to change the look-and-feel of the charts. You have complete control over the colors, fonts, and labels. A number of predefined bitmaps are provided for use in the charts, and there are numerous predefined viewing styles that you can select. These are different themes that change a variety of properties to provide a consistent look-and-feel.
Data Array Chart PropertiesBar ColoringBase Value Defines the base value used to color a bar based on its height. Color Bars By Type must be set to True so the bars will be colored based on height. If it is and the bar height is greater than the base value then the color is determined by a gradient between the white and red. If the bar height is less than the base value then the color is determined by a gradient between white and blue. Default value: White Acceptable range: Any color. Color Bars By Type If this is true then bars will be colored based on their height. If it is false then they will be colored using the color value defined in the data column. Default value: True Acceptable range: True/False Max Value Defines the maximum value used to color a bar based on its height. Color Bars By Type must be set to True so the bars will be colored based on height. If it is and the bar height is greater than the base value then the color is determined by a gradient between white and red. If the bar is higher than this value then it will be colored red. Default value: White Acceptable range: Any value. Min Value Defines the minimum value used to color a bar based on its height. Color Bars By Type must be set to True so the bars will be colored based on height. If the bar height is less than the base value then the color is determined by a gradient between white and blue. If the bar is lower this value then it will be colored blue. Default value: White Acceptable range: Any value. Data Properties Data This opens the Data Dialog that allows you to configure the Data Columns. Please see the section on How To Configure The DataArray. Save Data When Closed The chart can collect a lot of data points, and it is possible to have many charts open at the same time. This can lead to long load/save times to write/read the data in the charts. If this value is false then when the chart is closed the configuration for the chart is save, but none of the existing data is saved. If you set it to true then both the configuration and data are saved so that when the chart is opened again the last data simulated for that chart is still available. Default value: False Acceptable values: True/False Update Data Interval This is how often, in real time, the graphs data is updated. This can have a huge impact on the simulation speed. If you set it to update the graph too often it will slow the simulation down greatly, but if you set it to high then the simulations buffer will overfill and be erased and you will have gaps in the simulation. . Default value: 500 ms Acceptable range: Any time greater than 0. Graphical Properties AutoScale This property controls whether the graph will automatically scale data that is very small or very large. What we mean by scale is reduce or enlarge all data by 10, 100, 1000, 10000 and so on. Default value: True Acceptable range: True/False Axis Font Scale This property is used to adjust the font size for axis labels. Possible values range from .25 to 2.0 where the default value 1.0 means that the font size is normally the same size as grid numbers. Setting to 2.0 results in an axis label font size twice the size of the grid numbers. Default value: 1 Acceptable range: 0.5 - 2.0 Bitmap Gradients This property enables background bitmaps and gradients. Default value: False Acceptable range: True/False Border Type This property sets the grids border style. Default value: DropShadow Acceptable values:
Desk Bitmap Type This property identifies a resource ID of a pre-existing bitmap for a background bitmap to be placed onto the desk area of the control. This property is only effective if BitmapGradientMode is TRUE. Default value: None Acceptable range: None, Custom, A-K Desk Color This property defines the color used as the background color on which the control is placed. Default value: Lignt-Tan Acceptable range: Any Color Desk Gradient End This property defines the end RGB color for a background gradient placed onto the controls desk area. The gradients style is defined with DeskGradientStyle and start color with DeskGradientStart. This property is only effective if BitmapGradientMode is TRUE, and DeskGradientStyle is non-zero. Default value: Black Acceptable range: Any Color Desk Gradient Start This property defines the start RGB color for a background gradient placed onto the controls desk area. The gradients style is defined with DeskGradientStyle and start color with DeskGradientStart. This property is only effective if BitmapGradientMode is TRUE, and DeskGradientStyle is non-zero. Default value: Black Acceptable range: Any Color Desk Gradient Style Controls how a background gradient is applied to the controls desk area. Start and end RGB colors are defined with DeskGradientStart and DeskGradientEnd. This property is only effective if BitmapGradientMode is TRUE. Default value: DropShadow Acceptable values:
Font Size This property controls the font size used in the image creation process. Default value: Medium Acceptable range: Small, Medium, Large Graph Back Color This property identifies the color used as the background color for the objects graphing area. Default value: White Acceptable range: Any Color Graph Bitmap Type This property identifies a resource ID of a pre-existing bitmap for a background bitmap to be placed onto the graph area of the control. This property is only effective if BitmapGradientMode is TRUE. Default value: None Acceptable range: None, Custom, A-K Graph Font Scale This property is used to adjust the font size for graph labels. Possible values range from .25 to 2.0 where the default value 1.0 means that the font size is normally the same size as grid numbers. Setting to 2.0 results in an graph font size twice the size of the grid numbers. Default value: 1 Acceptable range: 0.5 - 2.0 Grid In Front This property controls whether the graphs grid is placed behind or in front of the plotting method graphics. Default value: False Acceptable values: True/False Grid Line Control This property controls the horizontal and vertical lines which make the graphs grid. Default value: Both
Grid Line Style This property controls the style of line used to form the graphs grid. Default value: Thin
Label Font This property identifies the face-name of the font to be used for object labels. The other properties like size are not used. Only assign True-Type fonts to this property. Default value: Tahoma Legend Font Scale This property is used to adjust the font size for legend labels. Possible values range from .25 to 2.0 where the default value 1.0 means that the font size is normally the same size as grid numbers. Setting to 2.0 results in an legend font size twice the size of the grid numbers. Default value: 1 Acceptable range: 0.5 - 2.0 Multi-Axis Separator Size This property controls the height of the section/gap when MultiAxisStyle is set to SeperateAxis. Units are logical and are 1/100th of the size of the x axis label height. For example, a value of 100 produces an axis gap equal to the x axis label height, 200 produces an axis gap twice the height of the x axis label. Default value: 100 Acceptable range: 25-300 Multi-Axis Style This property determines if multiple axes will be stacked or separated. The size of the separation may be adjusted with MultiAxisSeparatorSize. Default value: SeparateAxes Acceptable range: GroupAllAxes, SeparateAxes SubTitle This property allows the user to specify the text for a subtitle. Default value: Blank Subtitle Font This property identifies the face-name of the font to be used for the subtitle. The other properties like size are not used. Only assign True-Type fonts to this property. Default value: Tahoma Title This property allows the user to specify the text for a title. Default value: Blank TitleFont This property identifies the face-name of the font to be used for the title. The other properties like size are not used. Only assign True-Type fonts to this property. Default value: Tahoma Title Font Scale This property is used to adjust the font size for the title and subtitle. Possible values range from .25 to 2.0 where the default value 1.0 means that the font size is normally the same size as grid numbers. Setting to 2.0 results in an title font size twice the size of the grid numbers. Default value: 1 Acceptable range: 0.5 - 2.0 Viewing Style There are a number of pre-defined look-and-feel settings for the graph. This allows you to select one of these styles for you chart. It automatically sets a number of parameters of the chart to produce the look. Once set you can then alter other parameters to modify the look further. Default value: NoStyle
X Axis color This property controls the color used for the axis label and grid numbers/point labels along x axis. Default value: Black Acceptable range: Any Color X Axis Label This property controls the text of the x axis label. Default value: X Axis Acceptable range: Any string Y AutoScale This property is used in conjunction with ManualMinY and ManualMaxY. This property allows manual control of the range of the graphs y axis scale. Default value: None
Y Axis color This property controls the color used for the axis label and grid numbers/point labels along y axis. Default value: Black Acceptable range: Any Color Y Max Value This property is used in conjunction with Y AutoScale. If Y AutoScale is equal to Max or MinMax, then the value defined by here will be the maximum extent for the bottom y axis. Default value: 0 Acceptable range: Any number Y Min Value This property is used in conjunction with Y AutoScale. If Y AutoScale is equal to Min or MinMax, then the value defined by here will be the minimum extent for the bottom y axis. Default value: 0 Acceptable range: Any number Z Axis color This property controls the color used for the axis label and grid numbers/point labels along z axis. Default value: Black Acceptable range: Any Color Z Axis Label This property controls the text of the z axis label. Default value: Z Axis Acceptable range: Any string How To Configure The Data Array
You can open the data array configuration dialog by clicking on the Configure Data Array button,  , on the toolbar, or hitting the data item in the charts property list.
This dialog is used to configure the data array. You can specify how many columns and rows this chart will contain. Then you
must add data columns
for each entry in the array. For a large population of items this could be quite a bit of drudge work, so simplification were added in. To add
the data columns select an entry in the array to the left. You can select the Default Data Type from the drop down. This is typically Body, Neuron, or Joint.
It defaults to using Neurons. When you select one of these items it will populate the Data drop down with all items of that type in the selected default structure.
Next select the Data Item you want to add to this array entry and hit the add button. When you hit this button the cursor will automatically move to the next entry in the array and the next data item in the drop down list will be selected. This allows you to quickly fill in entire rows and columns by repeatedly clicking the add button. Of course, you need to make sure the items will end up in order in the drop down list. This means they should be named in a way so they will show up sorted. For instance, numbering neurons as 1-20. If you do this though keep in mind that the list is using alphabetical sorting. So it will go from 1 to 10, and so on. Once the items are all added make sure that Data Type for each item in the array is what you want. For things like neurons the data type defaults to membrane voltage. Also, by default when you click the add button it goes down a column. If you want it to go across the row instead then check the box labeled By Row. Once the data has been configured click the Ok button and you are ready to go. Also be sure to configure the bar color properties if you want the bars to be colored based on their height. This will take some knowledge about what the range of outputs will be for the data you are charting. For instance, the membrane voltage is going to vary between -100 mv to -30 mv. So you would need to set the base, min, and max values appropriately. I would probably set the base to -40 mv, min to -100 mv, and max to -30 mv for this example. Data Array Chart Menu & ToolbarThe following item can be found in the main toolbar, main menu, and also in pop-up menus. You can view pop-up menus by selecting items in the Hierarchy tree and then right clicking on them to display the pop-up menu.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
AnimatLab.com © 2006 | All Rights Reserved | |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
