Version 4.2
Post date: Jun 3, 2013 5:48:17 PM
Version 4.2.3, 17 Jul 2013: OK, one more release to convince users to transition from the stand-alone Figure Composer to the integrated DataNav app!!Â
The figure canvas in DataNav's figure composer now has rulers, which can be toggled on or off and which sport a better cursor position indicator with a readout in inches. The readout is NOT available in the stand-alone FC.
Added a simplified version of FC's "Workspace Browser" to DataNav's figure composer view. It gives the user a quick look at any folders containing FypML figure files, as well as the figure files in the currently selected folder. Double-click on any figure file to open it in the composer. This is likely to be more convenient than switching back and forth between the figure finder view and the composer view.
Key new feature: Open Matlab figures (FIG files) directly in DataNav. This is an alternative to using the matfig2fyp() utility to convert a Matlab figure to FypML. Now you can open any compatible Matlab figure saved in FIG file format just as you would open a FypML figure. The FIG file is parsed and a FypML figure constructed that reproduces the original Matlab figure to the extent possible. When a FIG file is opened, the corresponding tab will show the original FIG file name and a Matlab figure icon, and it will indicate that the figure needs to be saved -- this is because DataNav can only read FIG files; you cannot make changes to the figure and then save it back to FIG file format! As you start to work with FIG files in DataNav, folders containing these files will show up in the new workspace figures browser as well.... Of course, keep in mind that DataNav may not be able to import some FIG files, especially if they include specialized plots that are beyond the capabilities of FypML. This feature is NOT available in the stand-alone FC.
New Matlab utility savefigasis(H, F). When a Matlab figure is saved to a FIG file, the axis ranges and tick marks for a Handle Graphics "axes" or "scribe.colorbar" object are not always saved. When such a FIG file is opened in DataNav, the import function configures the corresponding FypML "graph" or "color axis" to be auto-ranged. Generally, this means that the graph will likely have somewhat different axis ranges and tick mark sets compared to the original Matlab figure. If you would like to improve the fidelity of the import, save your Matlab figure with savefigasis(), which will set selected properties on all "axes" and "scribe.colorbar" objects to ensure that the exact axis ranges and tick mark sets are explicitly stored in the FIG file.
Version 4.2.2, 5 Jul 2013: This will be the last release that includes the stand-alone Figure Composer app. Starting with the next release, users must transition to the integrated DataNav app, which implements all the functionality in FC and Portal Builder 4.
New features in matfig2fyp(): The utility can now convert a Matlab scatter plot (Handle Graphics type specgraph.scattergroup) and histogram (a HG patch object) into their FypML equivalents. Note that the patch object's Faces and Vertices properties must be consistent with the rendering of a histogram (a series of equal-width rectangles resting on the baseline y=0), or the patch is simply ignored. Also, after conversion, if any data lies outside a graph's "data window", the graph's clip flag is now set.
The hub view template editor now uses the same GUI as the figure composition perspective, albeit in a modal dialog window.
Additional pushbutton actions in the navigation view browser let the user print the current displayed view instance, save it as a standalone FypML figure, or export it to Postscript, JPG or PNG format.
Replaced the "active-inactive" hub concept with a "public-private" flag. Private hubs residing in a DataNav portal will only be accessible to registered users of the portal, not the general public.
Fixed an issue that interfered with the "hot keys" for the common Undo/Cut/Copy/Paste node actions. When the keyboard focus is on a text field in the node properties editor, those "hot keys" are intercepted by the text component -- as they should be. When this is the case, the node-related Undo/Cut/Copy/Paste actions are disabled.
Version 4.2.1, 11 Jun 2013: This release addresses some issues with the matfig2fyp() utility and makes some additional changes to make PB4's figure composition perspective more palatable to users.
Changes/fixes to matfig2fyp(H, F, C): Fixed an error in converting a Matlab plot to a series or mseries data set; (the x0 and dx parameters were reversed). No longer dumps tree structure to a file in the current working directory, as this is an undesirable side effect and not really needed except during debugging. If filename F lacks the ".fyp" extension, it is automatically appended. Added a third, optional argument, a logical scalar C. If C == false (default value is true), then the function will save the converted figure to file without raising the modal confirmation dialog. This form may be useful in scripts that generate more than one FypML figure.
The focus node overlay highlight is now more translucent in the figure composer view. Also, the focus overlay rectangle is outlined rather than filled when the focus is on the root figure node. This should make the focus overlay a little less intrusive. It can still be hidden temporarily by hitting the ESCape key.
The nodes in the figure node tree are now collapsible (except the root figure node). When you change the focus by clicking on a node directly in the figure canvas, the node tree will automatically expand the necessary nodes and scroll as needed to bring the focus node's row into view.
The node properties editor has been returned to the lower-left corner of the figure composer, underneath the node tree.
When a trace node is in histogram display mode with ZERO bar width, the histogram "bars" are actually just lines. In this case, the corresponding entry in the graph's automated legend is also drawn as a horizontal line segment, rather than a bar that's stroked and filled.
Version 4.2.0, 05 Jun 2013: This release offers two new and important Matlab utilities. It also includes more changes to PB4's figure composition perspective in response to user feedback.
The new Matlab utility matfig2fyp() should knock down a significant barrier to using DataNav to compose scientific figures for journal publication. Getting real data -- often prepared in Matlab -- into DataNav has always been cumbersome, and many find it much easier to create a figure in Matlab. Now, with matfig2fyp(), you can convert many Matlab figures into roughly equivalent DataNavFypML figures, which can then be opened directly in DataNav. No thinking about getting your data in just the right form, plus you get a rough draft of the figure ready to be tweaked into a publication-ready product in DataNav. Of course, the Matlab and DataNav figure models are quite different, so only certain kinds of figures can be converted successfully. For more details, read the function description in Matlab Utilities. This function is likely to continue to evolve as users request conversion of additional types of Matlab figures (such as histograms, compass plots, polar plots, etcetera).
Neuroscientists often want to display neural response data as a series of "spike trains", or "rasters". Matlab does not come with a specialized function for this sort of discrete-time event data, so we've developed one: dn_rasterplot(). The event data can be specified in one of two forms, and the resulting plot looks much like DataNav's raster node. In fact, matfig2fyp() will translate the plot object generated by dn_rasterplot() into a raster node. See Matlab Utilities for more information on dn_rasterplot().
All of the different actions available in the figure composer are now exposed in a standard application menu bar with top-level File, Edit, and View menus. Note that the menu bar's contents change with the particular "view controller" on display. Currently, for all view controllers other than the figure composer, the menu bar consists only of a File menu with About, Preferences, and Exit items (in Mac OSX, you won't see this, since all three commands appear in the Mac application menu instead).
The visible state of the node tree view in the figure composer is now saved at application exit and restored at application launch. Users who prefer to see the node tree no longer have to enable it each time they start PB4.
Pressing the ESCape key now hides both the "floating" node editor and the translucent blue focus node rectangle in the figure composer. The focus node's identity is unchanged -- the highlight rectangle is hidden so that you have an unobstructed view of the current figure.
You can zoom in or out on the currently displayed figure with a single mouse click in the figure composer's zoom mode. A single left click doubles the current scale factor, while a left click with the Shift key held down halves the scale factor -- while preserving the current pan position, if possible.
The graph node's automated legend now supports entries corresponding to trace nodes that are in the "histogram" display mode. The entry is drawn as a horizontal bar with a height equal to 1/2 the distance separating consecutive entries in the legend, and with graphic styling that matches the rendered histogram. In addition, a legend entry is now supported for the raster node: its appears as a horizontal bar if the raster is in "histogram" mode, or as a solid horizontal line otherwise. Updated both the GUI and the FypML schema to support this change; schema version = 14.