Wish List for PFE Features

[Probeman]

Hi John
I have a small wish that I don't think has been mentioned yet, and it is regarding adding an element to a run that has a multi-point background via the "Load Element Setups" button. If you add it to your run and decide to change the spectrometer that it is going to be run on, it wipes all the MP background positions and defaults to analysing it via 2pt linear. Now I understand the reasoning behind this, but for example sometimes I am moving it from a LPET to another LPET and I know that any slight difference in potential interfering peak positions from one crystal to another is going to be inconsequential on the background positions. At the moment I am manually writing the MP background positions down, changing the crystal number, then manually readding the background positions. Not sure if its possible but it would be great if it kept them when switching crystals...

Well, I have to agree you have a point here, unless the peak positions differ by too much (as do a couple of my crystals), it makes sense to allow this.

But I need to think of a clever way to do it.

By the way, they are not visible, but the multi-point background positions and other parameters are stored in the element setup database (SETUP.MDB) so once they are stored, they can be easily recalled into a new run one element at a time...



But also, the easiest way to automatically store all your element setups and standard intensities for general re-use (you can always load a complete file setup obviously too), is by using this handy Save Setups button as seen here:



If you click this button, the program will search the standard assignments for each element and save the element setup and standard intensities, including all MAN and interference standard intensities with one click!   

[BenjaminWade]

Hi John
Many thanks, it would be great if its possible to pull them across. With regards to the Save Setups button, yes I am definitely already using that, a very hand tool.

Cheers

Edit by John: Nice word, "across", isn't it? You almost make it sound easy!  

[jeb]

New request: add a light on/off switch for the verify fiducial marks, thanks!

[Probeman]

New request: add a light on/off switch for the verify fiducial marks, thanks!

Your wish is granted!

[jared.wesley.singer]

Would it be possible to display standard names, rather than numbers?  Can this be implemented for the stage view and for data plot labels?

Technical note: I have tried modifying the standard database.mdb , and exporting and importing a modified database.dat.  No success.  I noticed the POS data [StandardPOSFileDirectory="C:\UserData\StandardPOSData"] which has name information, but there are very few objects in this folder.  Does the documentation suggest that this folder is vestigal for newer operating systems?

Thanks for your consideration,

Jared

[John Donovan]

Would it be possible to display standard names, rather than numbers?  Can this be implemented for the stage view and for data plot labels?

Yes, of course. So you mean the StageMap window?  And the Plot! graph data labels? If so the graph data labels is easy, but the StageMap window will get very crowded. Note that if you resize the StageMap window smaller, eventually even the standard numbers will disappear, so I guess I could make it so if the StageMap is resized large enough I could add the standard names too... or maybe just a mouse hover that causes the label to popup?

Note that in some places (e.g., standard assignments) just hover the mouse over the form and the standard names will pop up.

Technical note: I have tried modifying the standard database.mdb , and exporting and importing a modified database.dat.  No success.  I noticed the POS data [StandardPOSFileDirectory="C:\UserData\StandardPOSData"] which has name information, but there are very few objects in this folder.  Does the documentation suggest that this folder is vestigal for newer operating systems?

Hi Jared,
These are essentially unrelated items.

The standard database can be modified from the Standard | Modify menu.  And yes, you can export, edit the standard.dat file and import it back in, but you'll want to clear out the old standards first. A little dangerous. But you can import just one (or more) standard composition(s) to the existing standard.mdb file using this menu if it is in the proper format.

The POS data are for the *.POS standard position files. PFE is different in that the standard compositions are stored in the standard.mdb file (or other .MDB file), but the standard position data can be stored in the .POS files in text. These can be imported into the position database (position.mdb), but I think what you really need is just a couple of days of training from one of our most excellent instrument specialists!

I'm sure I didn't answer your questions so please let us know what specifically you are asking for.

[jared.wesley.singer]

Thanks for the info, John.

It is the first suggestion that I wish: Plot! graph data labels and StageMap data labels based on standard names rather than standard numbers.

To solve the crowding issue, I would use abbreviated names like "hbl kaka" and keep the full name (e.g. Hornblende (Kakanui) USNM 143965) in the description field.  This would really help us facilitate the translation from CAMECA's Peaksight where we have been using these abbreviated names for a long time.

Best,

Jared

[John Donovan]

It is the first suggestion that I wish: Plot! graph data labels and StageMap data labels based on standard names rather than standard numbers.

To solve the crowding issue, I would use abbreviated names like "hbl kaka" and keep the full name (e.g. Hornblende (Kakanui) USNM 143965) in the description field.  This would really help us facilitate the translation from CAMECA's Peaksight where we have been using these abbreviated names for a long time.

Ok, I added the standard names to the StageMap but only when it is at 150% original size. Note that as it is resized smaller, first the standard names disappear and then the standard numbers.



Here is the large size showing standard names:



I did not add an option for standard names in the Plot! window as that only displays line numbers, so not sure what you mean... did you mean the Plot button in the Automate! window?

[Karsten Goemann]

Hi John,

We're using a petrographical light microscope with a motorised stage to pre-program analysis points for our SX100, mainly polished thin sections (on 3x1" glass slides) of rock samples. The control software is called Digimax and made by Microbeam Services, an Australian company. It uses 2 reference positions for X and Y and calculates the Z plane from 3 points from the sample list. We use TEM grids which we stick on the samples as reference markers.

We have an conversion utility for PeakSight, but it is quite convoluted to import the coordinates in there and then add the points in PFE again point by point. As PFE already has a powerful fiducial coordinate import capability it would be great if we could import the Digimax coordinate files (ASCII text files with .DCD extension) directly into PFE. Other facilities have the Digimax system as well so it might be useful for other people as well.

Below are the first 10 lines from an example .DCD file:
0,0,0,none,No name-1,P1,1,1,1,
20894,33523,0,none,No name-2,P2,1,1,2,
21005,23559,0,none,M-18_Trem1-1,S1,2,1,1,
18497,24085,0,none,M-18_Trem2-2,S2,2,1,2,
13393,25852,0,none,M-18_Trem3-3,S3,2,1,3,
11649,27444,0,none,M-18_Trem4-4,S4,2,1,4,
19634,23847,0,none,M-18_Trem5-5,S5,2,1,5,
14721,27640,0,none,M-18_Trem6-6,S6,2,1,6,
19392,26963,0,none,M-18_Carb1-7,S7,2,1,7,
5413,26693,0,none,M-18_Carb2-8,S8,2,1,8,

The first two rows are the two reference points P1. The following S1.... are sample points.
Columns 1,2,3 are XYZ
Column 4 is the analysis setup, which can be pre-programmed.
Column 5 is the sample description
Column 6 is the sample number (P for reference, S for single point...)
Columns 7-9 are used as number within dataset etc and not critical.

The coordinates would need to be mirrored on import when coming from the light microscope (X becomes -X).

Would it be possible to create an import routine for these coordinate files?

Many thanks, Karsten

[John Donovan]

The coordinates would need to be mirrored on import when coming from the light microscope (X becomes -X).

Would it be possible to create an import routine for these coordinate files?

I'd like to say "your wish is granted", but when I implemented this I choose to mirror Y instead of X because I assumed a "petrographic microscope"!

So I'll tweak that tomorrow, but in the meantime v. 10.4.8 should work otherwise. Please see:

http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=42.msg1852#msg1852

[Karsten Goemann]

I'd like to say "your wish is granted", but when I implemented this I choose to mirror Y instead of X because I assumed a "petrographic microscope"!

Thanks John, yes the Digimax coordinate system is a bit of a funny one. The image viewed through the light microscope is upside down as usual, but they've decided to have the origin of their coordinate system in the top right corner, with +X and +Y going to the left and down, respectively. So as Y is upside down anyway that doesn't have to be mirrored, but X does... I've attached a screenshot.

Many thanks again, I'll try it on Monday!
Karsten

[John Donovan]

More discussion on this topic here:

http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=46.msg1857#msg1857

[Anette von der Handt]

Hi John,

this wish concerns the standard.exe. I am currently having a lot of fun with using MAN backgrounds for PFE and PI applications. In order to pick the best standards for the MAN correction I have standard.exe list my standards with their mean Z (useful function!) and then go and pick from there. Works fine but in order to speed up the process, specifically for lab users that do not necessarily have the most intimate knowledge of all the lab standards I would love to have the following functions added (if they don't already exist and I just haven't found them yet).

1) Would it be possible to have another function where I can first include/exclude elements and then get a list of the filtered standards with their Z? Seems to me just like a combination of what is already available in the program..

2) In standard.exe, I can check for nominal interferences in a given standard composition. However, I cannot choose to specify an element which is not in the element list of the standard. It would be great if I could just choose random elements to quickly verify that I do not have a peak interference in my MAN standard.

I hope it is somewhat clear what I am asking for...

Thanks!
Anette

[John Donovan]

1) Would it be possible to have another function where I can first include/exclude elements and then get a list of the filtered standards with their Z? Seems to me just like a combination of what is already available in the program..

2) In standard.exe, I can check for nominal interferences in a given standard composition. However, I cannot choose to specify an element which is not in the element list of the standard. It would be great if I could just choose random elements to quickly verify that I do not have a peak interference in my MAN standard.

I understand #2 well enough. Remember though, the nominal interference calculation assumes Gaussian overlaps and so is not very accurate.

The best practice in my mind is to simply acquire all analyzed elements in all standards (the default non quick standards), and then analyze them (as if they are unknowns from the Analyze! window) and see if anything shows up that shouldn't be there. 

Actually even easier is to simply unselect any standard intensities that plot above the general MAN curve trend. After all, background is *by definition* the lowest intensity one can measure, so if the std intensity point is above the trend, it's either a contamination or an interference and you really don't care which it is- just deselect it from the fit.

As for #1, maybe you should provide an example of what you mean.

[Philipp Poeml]

Hi John,

Why not display spectro units here (screenshot)? You do that for the off peak interferences. Nice would be also spectro units relative and absolute... Also in calczaf.exe where I do these calculations from time to time.

Thanks!



Edit by John: Your request has been implemented in v. 10.5.4