Starting with version 3.4.0 there is a graphical user interface that comes together with asammdf.
With the GUI tool you can
- visualize channels
- see channel, conversion and source metadata as stored in the MDF file
- access library functionality for single files (convert, export, cut, filter, resample) and multiple files (concatenate, stack)
After you pip install asammdf there will be a new script called asammdf.exe in the python_installation_folderScripts folder.
The following dependencies are required by the GUI
- PyQt5
- pyqtgraph
The only command here is Open. Depending on the page this is allow to open a single file, or multiple files.
The following settings are available
Memory: this specifies the memory argument when instantiating the MDF object. It can have one of the values:
fulllowminimum
Changing this option does not affect already opened files; it will only apply later when openeing a new file.
Plot lines: controls the visual style of the channels plot lines:
Simple: a simple line is used to join the channel samples. It is the default option because it gives the best performance for high sample countWith dots: a simple line joins the channels sample, and the actual samples are marked by a dot. This allows for better visualization, but at the expense of lower performance
Integer line style: controls how integer type channels are displayed
Step mode: the line that joins the channel samples is a step lineDirect connect mode: the samples are joined using straight lines
Search: controls how the matching is done for the quick search field. Mathing is always done case insensitive.
Match start: the channel name must start with the input stringMatch contains: the channel name must contain the input string
Note
- Changing the Memory option does not affect already opened files; it will only apply later when openeing a new file.
- Changin the Plot lines and Integer line style does not affect the current plot; they will only apply for new plots.
There are several keyboard shortcuts for handling the plots:
| Shortcut | Action | Desctiption |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cursor | Displays a movable cursor that will trigger the display of the current value for all plot channels |
| F | Fit | Y-axis fit all active channels on the screen, keeping the current X-axis range |
| G | Grid | Toggle grid lines |
| H | Home | XY-axis fit all active channels |
| I | Zoom-in | X-axis zoom-in1 |
| O | Zoom-out | X-axis zoom-out2 |
| M | Statistics | Toggle the display of the statistic panel |
| R | Range | Display a movable range that will trigger the display of the delta values for all plot channels |
| S | Stack | Y Stack all active channels so that they don't overlap, keeping the X-axis range |
| ← | Move cursor left | Moves the cursor to the next sample on the left |
| → | Move cursor right | Moves the cursor to the next sample on the right |
| Ctrl+B | Bin | Toggle binary reprezentation of integer channels |
| Ctrl+H | Hex | Toggle hex reprezentation of integer channels |
| Ctrl+P | Physical | Toggle physical reprezentation of integer channels |
Footnotes
The Single files toolbox page is used to open multiple single files for visualization and processing (for example exporting to csv or hdf5).
- Single files page selector
- Multiple files page selector
- Opened files tabs
- Quick channel search field for the current file
- Complete channels tree
- Command buttons
- Selected channels list
- Current file operations tabs
In the single files mode, you can open multiple files in parallel. The tab names have the title set to the short file name, and the complete file path can be seen as the tab tooltip.
There is no restriction, so the same file can be opened several times.
Using the Seetings->Searh menu option the user can choose how the search is performed. A positive search match will scroll the channels tree and highlight the channel entry.
When the same channel name exist several times in the file, you can switch between the occurences using the arrow buttons.
This tree contains all the channels found in the measurement.
Double clicking a channel name will display a pop-up window with the channel information (CNBLOCK, CCBLOCK and SIBLOCK/CEBLOCK)
Only the channels that are checked in the channels tree will pe selected for plotting when the Plot button willbe pressed. Checking or unchecking channels will not affect the current plot.
From left to right the buttons have the following functionality
- Load channel selection list: loads a channel selection list from a text file (one channel name per line) and checks them in the channels tree is they are found.
- Save channel selection list: saves the current checked channels names in a text file
- Select all channels: checks all channels in the channels tree
- Reset selection: unchecks all channels in the channels tree
Advanced search & select: will open an advanced search dialog
- the dialog can use wildcard and regex patterns
- multiple channels can be selected, and thus checked in the channels tree
- Plot: generates the plot based on the current checked channels from the channels tree
When the Plot button is pressed the checked channels will populate the Selected channels list.
Selecting items from the Selected channels list will display their Y-axis on the right side of the plot, if the items are enabled for display.
It also necessary to select a single item when the Statistics panel is active to compute the statistics for the item's channel.
Each item has four elements
- display enable checkbox
- color select button
- channel name and unit label
channel value label
- the value is only displayed if the cursor or range are active. For the cursor is will show the current value, and for the range it will shwo the value delta between the range start and stop timestamps
Double clicking an item will open a range editor dialog
Here we can specify a range value visual alert. When the cursor is active and the current channel value is within the specified range, the item background will change to the selected color.
The initial plot will have all channels homed (see the H keyboard shortcut) and Y-axis disabled
Selecting items from the Selected channels list will enable the Y-axis
Using the C keyboard shotcut will toggle the cursor, and with it the channel values will be displayed for each item in the Selected channels list
The Ctrl+H and Ctrl+B keyboard shortcuts will
- change the axis values for integer channels to hex and bin mode
- change the channel value display mode for each integer channel item in the Selected channels list
Using the R keyboard shotcut will toggle the range, and with it the channel values will be displayed for each item in the Selected channels list. When the range is enabled, using the H keyboard shortcut will not home to the whole time range, but instead will use the range time interval.
The Statistics panel is toggle using the M keyboard shortcut
The Multiple files toolbox page is used to concatenate or stack multiple files.
The files list can be rearanged in the list (1) by drag and dropping lines. Unwanted files can be deleted by selecting them and pressing the DEL key. The files order is considered from top to bottom.