Data Management¶
Import/Exporting¶
When you import files, they are copied into your project as items and stored in an internal format.
You can also export items to files. The exported files can be used in other programs. Exporting a file does not remove it from your project.
Importing¶
You can import data from several data formats.
You can drag files directly into the data panel to import.
You can drag files directly into an empty display panel to import.
You can import files using the menu item. This will allow you to select which files to import. The files will appear in your project.
You can import a folder of files using menu item. This will import all files that are importable within the folder. The files will appear in your project.
Exporting Data¶
You can export data to several data formats. When exporting data, you can choose to export a single item or multiple items. Exporting data does not include graphics on the associated display.
The data format to which you are exporting must support data in the format of the data item you are choosing to export. For instance, you cannot export a 2D collection of 1D data to TIFF, which only supports images.
JPEG - JPEG files are lossy compressed files. They are good for a visual representation of the data.
PNG - PNG files are lossless compressed files. They are good for an exact visual representation of the data.
GIF - GIF files are lossless compressed files. They are good for an exact visual representation of the data.
BMP - BMP files are uncompressed files. They are good for an exact visual representation of the data.
WebP - WebP files are compressed files. They are good for a visual representation of the data.
CSV Raw - CSV files are text files. They are good for a human-readable representation of the data in a simple format.
CSV 1D - CSV files are text files. The 1D variant includes calibration information.
DigitalMicrograph - DigitalMicrograph files are used to transfer data to DigitalMicrograph.
TIFF (Baseline) - TIFF Baseline files are lossless compressed files. They are good for an exact visual representation of the data. The data is converted to 8-bit in this format.
TIFF (ImageJ) - TIFF ImageJ files are lossless compressed files that support float 32 data format. They are useful for visual display and for transferring small files between programs.
Raw NumPy - Raw NumPy files include the data in the NumPy file format as well as a sidecar file containing the metadata. The two files zipped together are equivalent to the NData 1 format.
NData 1 - NData files include all the data and calibration information and are useful for transferring small data items between programs. The NData 1 format is a zip file.
NData HDF - NData HDF files include data, calibration and other metadata, and display and can be used to transfer display and data between programs. This format is good for large data items.
You can select which data items to export by selecting one or more items in the data panel and context clicking on one of the items and then choosing the or the menu item.
The menu item will export the currently focused item to the data format that you choose and with the specific file name and location that you specify.
The menu item will export the selected items to the data format that you choose but with a filename generated from a checklist of properties. All selected items will be exported to the same folder that you choose.
You can also export an item in a display panel by context clicking on the display panel and choosing . If multiple display panels are selected, you can also choose .
Exporting Data and Display¶
The NData HDF format is a good choice for exporting data and display information. The NData HDF format includes the data, calibration, and other metadata, as well as the display information. The display information includes the display type, the display settings, and the graphics. The NData HDF format is good for transferring data and display information between programs.
Exporting a Display Item to SVG¶
You can also represent a graphic representation of your display using . The graphic representation will be saved as an SVG file and will include a visual representation of the data as either an image or a line plot and will also include any graphics.
As a convenience you can specify the size of the SVG file in pixels, inches, or centimeters.
The SVG file is resolution independent and can be opened in a web browser or a vector graphics program for further editing.
Note
You cannot import SVG files into Nion Swift. SVG files are only for exporting graphics and visual representations of data. They do not contain the underlying data or metadata necessary to recreate the display in Nion Swift.
Managing Projects¶
Data is organized into projects, which hold the data and a description of the connections between the data.
A project may represent a particular session on an instrument, an ongoing session, or another grouping of data.
Only one project can be open at once and the name of the project is shown in the title bar of the main window.
The project is stored on disk and is typically a combination of an index file and a folder of data stored at the same folder level.
The index file has the suffix ‘.nsproj’ and the data folder is named with the same base name as the index file with ‘Data’ appended to the name.
It is not possible (currently) to rename projects.
It is not possible (currently) to transfer data items between projects.
Projects from previous versions may be a folder with both the index file, with the suffix of ‘.nslib’, and data folder inside.
You can create a new project using the menu item . You will be asked to choose a location in which to create the project and a name for the project. Two files will be created within the folder you select: an index file with the base name your select for the project and the suffix ‘.nsproj’ and a data folder with the base name you select for the project and the suffix ‘Data’.
You can switch projects by using the menu .
You can also switch projects by using the menu . A list of recent projects will be shown. You can also create a new project or open a previous project from the resulting dialog. You can mouse over the list of projects to see their location. You can right-click on a project to open its location or remove it from the list.
You can open an existing project that does not appear in either the choose project dialog or the recent projects menu. Use . You will be asked to select a file with the suffix of either ‘.nsproj’ or ‘.nsindex’ (for older projects).
We recommend creating new projects frequently in order to keep the number of items per project limited.
Backup¶
You can back up your project by copying the index file and the data folder.
Be sure to exit Nion Swift before backing up the project.
Also take care not to modify multiple copies of the project.
To restore a project, you can copy the index file and data folder to your local machine and then use to open the restored project.
Recovery¶
If you lose your index file or it becomes corrupt, the data in the project may still be recoverable. Contact us to proceed.
