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Power Graphics and Data Analysis with Origin
are plotted, Origin automatically updates attributes, such as the symbols and colors used for each plot. Once a plot is made, the enlarger tool allows the user to select any Origin 6.0 region for detailed viewing. Microcal Software Origin has a comprehensive range of built-in two- and One Roundhouse Plaza three-dimensional graph types, which can include up to Northampton, MA 01060 50 layers. Customizing graphs is a snap. The user places a 413-586-2013 pointer over any line, axis, or data point and edits the obhttp://www.microcal.com ject by double clicking, which brings up a context-specific $595 menu to allow virtually unlimited customization. Requires: Windows 95, 98, 2000, or NT The potential to mask a data range or specific data point from analysis is an especially useful feature of Origin. Data Origin is a high-end data analysis and technical graphics can be masked in both worksheets and data plots, and software package that will make power users smile. It is masked data can be toggled on/off so that the user can loaded with features to prepare virtually any type of techinstantly view the effect. nical graph. This software is not for users who just want to Origin provides a wide range of data analysis operadraw simple pie and bar charts; many other less-expensive tions, including interpolation, extrapolation, differentiaand easier-to-master packages exist tion, smoothing, integration, and for such mundane applications. For others. Box charts, QC charts, histhose who have complex scientific tograms, t-tests, 1-way ANOVA, data analysis and graphing needs, and fast Fourier transform functions Origin 6.0 is an essential tool. are available in Origin. In addition Installation of Origin is quick and to deconvolution, data-smoothing, uneventful. The program requires and data-filtering functions, Origin about 20 MB hard disk space, which provides the tools for baseline and seems modest considering the impeak analyses, as well as linear and pressive functionality of this propolynomial regression. gram. A professional version of OriA few other Origin features are gin is available with additional tools particularly noteworthy. Origin can for customization and application A sampling of Origin 6.0 graphs. export graphs in many vector and development. Japanese and German raster image formats, and the Labversions are also available. Talk programming language will Not all features could be evaluated for this review—there be invaluable for users who wish to automate Origin for are so many! By going through the supplied tutorials and evaluating and displaying data. LabTalk is a full-featured experimenting somewhat, I evaluated the basic data entry programming language (similar to the C language), with and plotting capabilities of Origin, as well as some of its access to all of Origin’s operations. data analysis functions. Of special interest to me was the If there is any criticism to be made of Origin, it is that overall ease of quickly producing and customizing data the program can be intimidating for the casual user. The plots for publication-quality figures. The powerful LabTalk basic steps for entering data and making a simple graph programming language was not evaluated because it reare not difficult, but a new user will have to experiment quires a much steeper learning curve. a bit to learn how to use the many functions. Microcal Origin users must be somewhat familiar with spreadprovides considerable resources to assist users, including sheets. In fact, one of the strong features of Origin is its a “Getting Started” booklet, a tutorial manual with 7 integration with Microsoft’s Excel. Users can drag data from exercises, a 774-page user’s manual, and a 486-page an Excel workbook and drop it into an Origin graph winLabTalk manual. dow to produce a plot. They can easily transpose columns After completing the tutorial exercises, most users will and rows of a spreadsheet to experiment with various ways have a good feel for the basic functions of Origin. During of analyzing and plotting experimental results. It is simple my evaluation, I found that the most difficult aspect of to import ASCII files into Origin, and the program supusing Origin was to decide clearly what I wanted to do ports data from numerous other file types, including with it. Lotus, Mathematica, and dBASE. By simply highlighting data columns and clicking a Reviewed by Ray E. Clement, Ontario Ministry of the Environment. graph button on one of the toolbars, users can create a wide variety of graphs in Origin. When multiple columns
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