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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Trend Charts |
  
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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Trend Charts |
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SpecView's Trend Charts have been completely redesigned and given a new look in Version 3.
This means there are many new options available. However, the basic setup of a chart is unchanged from older versions of SpecView.
Charts from previous versions of SpecView can be converted.
If the new features are not required, then the option of simple setup is available.
The most significant changes to the functionality of Trend Charts are:
| • | Back-fill of historical data when the screen (GDW) is opened. This is independent from Historical Replay. |
Note: The data points for back-fill are from logged data, so the resolution of the points is in accordance with the data logging rate.
| • | Scrollback using the scrollback thumb to view up to 10 chart widths of previous data: |
| • | Chart Notes to mark significant points on a chart: |
| • | Zoom - Drag an area of the chart to expand X and Y axes. The popup-menu includes options to export data in zoomed area to a CSV file. The number of intermediate values is specified on the Chart tab. |
| • | Multiple scales on the left or right of the chart, for some or all of the pens, with optional value pointers. |
| • | Popup menu - Trend charts now have a popup menu that can be accessed from Runtime Mode using either the left or right mouse buttons, for compatibility with touch screens which don't have a 'right' mouse button. In Edit Mode the popup menu is only available using the right mouse button. This is because the 'left' button is used to select the Trend Chart for moving and resizing. |
The new Trend Chart Properties box is accessed by either choosing Setup Chart from the popup menu or clicking the Setup button (if it is enabled) from Runtime Mode.
The Setup button is enabled from the Buttons & View tab.
Settings can be saved for future use by clicking the Save settings as default for new charts button.
A quick way to assign variables for the pens is to multiselect a number of variables from the Variables List and drag & drop them into the pens box on the Pens tab.
Pens are assigned default colors according to the whether the chart background is a light or a dark color. To change the color and settings of a specific pen select it in the pens box and click the Edit button to open the Pen Properties box, with the following tabs:
| • | Thickness setting for each pen |
| • | Decimal point setting for each pen |
| • | Pen trace can blink and/or change color on alarm |
| • | Automatic or fixed scaling with logarithmic option |
| • | Optional pointers for each pen on scales |
| • | Y-Axis auto scaling |
| • | Smooth Scroll – the chart scrolls to the left or downwards*; the latest value will be always shown at the right or bottom* of the chart (* depends on horizontal or vertical chart) |
| • | Jump Scroll (like SpecView Version 2) – when the last segment is full, the chart will jump one segment |
| • | No Scroll – the chart will keep expanding the time axis to fit all the data. This means the chart will show all the data, which is useful if the duration of the batch process is unknown |
| • | More time span selections with scroll back management settings |
| • | Vertical scrolling chart option for compatibility with paper chart recorders |
| • | Scales for any pens, left or right |
| • | Secondary elapsed time display, which is useful for batch processes |
| • | Cursors are visually clearer and have more features |
| • | Chart notes to mark significant points on a chart. Chart Notes can also be setup to be added automatically |
| • | The pen values along the top of the chart can have additional information and be formatted in different ways. |
| • | Chart print and screen print options |
| • | Page print to printer or JPG |
| • | File name selection – fixed or from SpecView variable |
| • | Display the chart with a dark background for clarity on the screen, but when printing use a white background to save ink |
| • | Automatic pen color assignment |
| • | Flexibility of items displayed in the top right corner of the Trend Chart |