This file contains general information about Datafit version 2.2 and Viewplot version 2.2 by Engineered Software. For the most up to date release notes and version information, look at our home page on the web. The URL is: http://www.kagi.com/authors/johng/ Table of Contents: Section 1 - What is Datafit/Viewplot? Section 2 - Machine Requirements Section 3 - Distribution and License Information Section 4 - Automatic Installation using SETUP.EXE Section 5 - Version 2.2 and previous Release Notes Section 6 - Contacting us Section 7 - Thank you Section 1 - What is Datafit/Viewplot? Datafit is an an Engineering tool which is useful for generating functional equations and FFT calculations for tabular sampled data. It allows the user to import the data from a tab, comma, or space delimited file or enter it through a built in editor. For curve fitting, Cubic Splines and Least Squares techniques are used. The equation coefficients and calculated vs. entered data can be displayed and printed in tabular format. Statistics, such as correlation between entered and calculated data, are also calculated. Once equation coefficients are determined, the program can generate subroutine source code (Basic and C) which can readily be compiled and used to interpolate the data in user written programs. FFT calculations can be done on the entered data directly, or can be first spline fitted to allow a faster sampling rate. The FFT magnitude and phase calculations can also be displayed and printed in tabular format. In addition, output from this program for both the curve fitting functions and FFT calculations can be fed into Viewplot and the results can be viewed and compared graphically. Viewplot is an Engineering tool which is useful for plotting raw data, or functional equations and FFT calculations generated by the program Datafit. It can be used stand-alone, or launched from within Datafit once the programs have been registered. It has the ability to plot multiple curves from one or more datasets and display them in the same or separate windows simultaneously. Plots can be customized by formatting legends, numerical scaling, line colors, line styles and axis/title labels and fonts. The plots can be saved, printed or copied to the Windows clipboard for pasting into other applications. Section 2 - Machine Requirements Datafit/Viewplot version 2.2 is supported on Windows 3.1, Windows '95, and Windows NT version 3.51. The memory requirement is that you have enough to run Windows or Windows NT. If you are pushing your machine to the limit with just the operating system, make sure you have virtual memory (swap space) allocated. The programs now support all windows supported video resolutions. Section 3 - Distribution and License Information The software is being distributed as Shareware. You may evaluate it free of charge for 15 days. If, after the 15 day evaluation period, you choose to continue using the software, you must register it. Register your copy of Datafit/Viewplot by selecting "Complete Registration Form" in the Registration Information panel from either program, or double-click the "Register" icon. You only need to complete one form. Follow the instructions shown to you in the registration panels. This program relies on your support for continued development, and single user registration is only $30.00. This price covers the use of both programs. When you register Datafit/Viewplot, you will receive a code that enables additional features and you will become eligible for priority support. You will also be able to obtain free updates of the programs through our Web page (address below) with which you can use your current registration code, until the next major release. To register copies of Datafit/Viewplot please use the "Register" program provided with Datafit/Viewplot to make payments. We use KAGI Shareware registration service, which accepts different payment methods, including credit card and invoices. If you live in the US or Canada you may also mail us your check or money order directly, payable to John A. Gilmore, at the following address: Engineered Software C/O John A. Gilmore 1315 Varner Road Pittsburgh, PA 15227, USA Once we receive the form, you will receive a confirmation letter which will include your registration number and license agreement. Once you have received a registration number, you may permanently enter it by selecting "Enter Registration" from the registration information panel. Be sure to enter your name EXACTLY how it is spelled on the confirmation letter. If you have any problems entering your registration number, please contact technical support. For more information about registering the software, see "Obtaining a License for Datafit/Viewplot" in the online help. Distribution is permitted provided you follow these instructions: You are free to make copies of the distribution archive (DTAFITxx.ZIP) and pass it along to others for evaluation provided that no modifications or additions are made to the software, its documentation, or any associated files. The URL for our home page is: http://www.kagi.com/authors/johng/ Don't forget the trailing slash! This page is updated for each release of the software, so you can check here for new release information. Section 4 - Automatic Installation using SETUP.EXE To automatically install Datafit/Viewplot for Windows on your hard drive: 1. If you have received the software from an archive in the form of a .ZIP file, copy the contents of the archive to a temporary directory and unzip the files. Copy the unzipped files to a floppy disk to keep as a backup. If you have received the software on a floppy disk directly from Engineered Software, the files will already be unzipped. 2. Place the disk in a floppy drive of your computer if you are installing from the floppy disk. 3. Open the File menu of the Windows program manager (if you are running Windows 3.1 or Windows NT) and select Run, or click on the "Start" button and select Run... (if you are running Windows '95). 4. In the Run dialog box, type A:SETUP or B:SETUP, depending on the drive used. 5. The Setup application will prompt you for additional information as required. Section 5 - Version 2.2 and Previous Release Notes Datafit and Viewplot Version 2.2 is a FREE upgrade for current Version 2.1 and previous users. Not every upgrade will be free, but interim releases will be. If there is a charge for upgrades in the future, it will be somewhat less than purchasing it for the first time. If you register the software, you will be notified of new releases. Work is going on on a daily basis, so register the software and submit your requests. We can't guarantee that we will honor every feature request, but we will do our best. Changes/Bug Fixes in Datafit and Viewplot Version 2.2 1. If only notes text changes, user is prompted to save only notes text so that solution is not deleted. Changed Code in Datafit (1/5/96) 2. Call REGISTER.EXE from application directory instead of path in both Datafit and Viewplot to avoid getting an old copy from different directory. Changed Code in Datafit and Viewplot (1/5/96) 3. Allow commas to be entered as decimal points and updated file structure for international support. Changed Code in Datafit and Viewplot (12/25/95) 4. Correlation now listed along with equation in Export function panel in Datafit and Viewplot Graph List. Added Code in Datafit and Viewplot (12/23/95) 5. Double click on project name did not function in project panel when opening a new project, or in Export Function Panel. Added code in Datafit (12/23/95) 6. Equation 8 under common functions never got listed when it solved successfully. Fixed code in Datafit (12/19/95) 7. Added Equation numbers to default text strings (for equation viewing and default legends) for common Equations. Added Code in Datafit and Viewplot (12/19/95) 8. When solving, if either data points passed through zero, value was made small. This is no longer done, it introduced small error in solution equations. Changed Code in Datafit (12/19/95) 9. Made all full screen panels in Datafit now resizable. Buttons and text repositioned upon resizing. Now support 640x480 resolutions and smaller. Added Code in Datafit (12/18/95) 10. Replaced (X,Y) data list boxes in Datafit with two column tables so that data positioning no longer a function of font. Changed code in Datafit (12/15/95) 11. Added "Fonts" button in "Format Axis" panel of Viewplot to enable changing plot fonts. Added Code in Viewplot (12/15/95) 12. Added User defined options in Datafit. Includes default Font designations and window sizes. Added Code in Datafit (12/14/95) 13. Added User defined options in Viewplot. Includes default Font designations and window sizes. Added Code in Viewplot (12/14/95) 14. Added data Exchange capabability in Datafit Data Entry Panel. Added Code in Datafit (12/13/95) 15. Added data Sorting capability in Data Entry Panel. Added Code in Datafit (12/13/95) 16. Redesigned Data Entry Panel, more functionality with less keyboard entry. Changed Code in Datafit (12/12/95) 17. Added capability to import tab, comma, and space delimited files in Data Entry Panel. Added Code in Datafit (12/6/95) 18. Added capability to import tab, comma, and space delimited files directly into Viewplot for Plotting. Added Code in Viewplot (12/5/95) 19. Added "Plot as continuous" check box in "Format Graphs" panel in Viewplot to allow plotting discreet data as continuous lines. Added Code in Viewplot (12/3/95) 20. Changed 'splash' screens in Datafit and Viewplot. Fixed Code in Datafit and Viewplot (12/1/95) 21. Control and background colors now use Windows 'system' colors. Changed Code in Datafit and Viewplot (11/27/95) 22. Files saved as plot files containing Least Squares Polynomial equations had line missing in file structure. Fixed Code in Viewplot (11/25/95) Changes/Bug Fixes in Datafit and Viewplot Version 2.1 1. Text note box was added. This allows the user to type notes in the text box which are saved along with the projects. See the section "Entering Notes" in the online help. 2. FFT capabilities added. See the section "FFT Calculations" in the online help. 3. The calculated Y data for Cubic Splines was corrected in the View Equations/Statistics Panel. Previously the calculated data was displayed incorrectly because the solved coefficient data was not read in as double precision. 4. The installation program previously overwrote the datafit.ini and viewplot.ini files in the Windows directory if the software had already been installed. If the files already exist, they will no longer be overwritten. 5. Backward file compatility exists to previous versions. 6. If the default windows fonts Courier, Ms Sans Serif, or Arial were not present on the users system, the user would get an error which said "Invalid Property Value". A more descriptive error message comes up, and the program continues with the windows system standard font. 7. If the screen resolution is less than 800 x 600, a warning panel tells the user to change his screen resolution to a minimum of 800 x 600. The software will continue, but there will not be enough screen real estate to display the screens, hence buttons and text may not show up. 8. We now accept payment of various forms. See section 3 above. 9. Adding printing status panels. 10. The ability to display FFT calculations was added. 11. The default axis limits initialize to more 'reasonable' values instead of fitting to max and min values. 12. Input data is now displayed at the top of the equation list when opening or importing a new file. 13. Added 3D check boxes in colors and line style panels. 14. The ability to view plot coordinates by clicking was added. See the section "Show Coordinates" in the online help. 15. Backward file compatility exists to previous versions. 16. Adding printing status panels in Viewplot. Changes/Bug Fixes in Datafit and Viewplot Version 2.0: 1. Added additional Least Squares functions. These are common functions used in scientific and statistical analysis. See the section "Specifying Equation Types" in the online help. 2. Added ability to export source code in C and Basic to readily include the solved equations in other source code. See the section "Exporting Program Subroutines" in the online help. 3. Revised the View menu to more easily view the solution parameters. See the section "Viewing Output" in the online help. 4. You can now access Viewplot directly from Datafit. The software must be registered before this feature can be accessed. See the section "Viewing Output" in the online help. 5. Viewplot can run in either standalone mode as before, or can be accessed directly from Datafit. The software must be registered before this feature can be accessed. See the section "Viewing Output" in the Datafit online help. Stay tuned. Some more neat stuff is on the way.... Section 6 - Contacting us If you have any questions or problems installing or setting up the programs, you may contact us via email at johng@kagi.com, or by US Mail at: Engineered Software C/O John A. Gilmore 1315 Varner Road Pittsburgh, PA 15227 The URL for our home page is: http://www.kagi.com/authors/johng/ Don't forget the trailing slash! For more information, please see the section "Obtaining Technical Support" in the online help. Section 7 - Thank you Thank you for taking the time to evaluate this software. We hope it does what you need easily and efficiently. If you have any comments, good or bad, PLEASE send them to the address in Section 6.