The LC Project Wizard guides users through the steps of creating and setting up a project. To start the New Project Wizard, select "File -> New Project Wizard". Each step is optional, depending on how the user would like to set up the project. The Project Wizard may be cancelled at any time. To cancel the creation of a project, just click "Cancel" at any step in the wizard. Cancelling deletes everything that was created in each step as well as the project folder. The user can click "Finish" at any time, then everything that has been created is saved to the newly created project.
Each of the steps is described below. All changes at each step are applied immediately to the project once the user clicks "Next".
Step 1: Create a New Project
Figure 1 shows the dialog to Create a New Project. In the dialog, enter a name, select the path for the project, then click "Next".
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| Figure 1: Creating a new project. |
Step 2: Create Vial Records
To create a table of vial records, click the "Edit" button, shown in Figure 2, to start editing the table.
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| Figure 2: Creating a table of vial records. |
Vials can be created individually or multiple vials at one time. The "New Vial" button can be used to create a single vial. To create multiple vials simultaneously, click the "Add Multiple Vials" button and fill in the fields shown in Figure 3.
Prefix - prefix for the name of the vial(s) to be created
Start - starting number for the name of the first vial created
Count - the number of vials to be created
Date - date the vial is created
Notes - notes for each vial
Author - creator of the vial record(s)
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| Figure 3: Adding multiple vials. |
Use the drop down combo boxes in the "Composition Table" column to select the Composition Table for a vial, as shown in Figure 4. Chemical constituents and amounts are read (in CSV format) from the Composition Table file.
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| Figure 4: Setting the Composition Table for a vial. |
The "Next Vial" button, shown in Figure 5, can be used to create a vial automatically based on the currently selected vial. For example, if SMP01 is selected, the new vial is named SMP02 with all other information (excluding the Composition Table) the same as SMP01.
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| Figure 5: Editing a Vial Table. |
Once the Vial Table is complete, click "Apply Changes" to save the newly created vials with the corresponding Composition Table data. Figure 6 shows a saved Vial Table with active vials.
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| Figure 6: A saved Vial Table. |
Step 3: Create Sequence Tables
This step may be skipped if the user would like to manually associate the chromatographic data files with vials.
The user has the option to create a new Sequence Table or import an existing Sequence Table. To create a new Sequence Table, select the "Create Table" button, shown in Figure 7, which brings up the dialog for providing the table information, shown in Figure 8. An existing Sequence Table can be imported by clicking on the "Import Table" button.
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| Figure 7: Creating, importing, and editing sequence tables. |
Provide the following information for a new Sequence Table.
Prefix - name of the Sequence Table
Date - creation date
Notes - notes about the table
Author - creator of the Sequence Table
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| Figure 8: Creating a sequence table. |
Several editing operations can be performed on Sequence Tables:
Figure 9 shows an example Sequence Table.
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| Figure 9: Editing a Sequence Table. |
Once finished, click the "Done" button. The Sequence Table is created, as shown in Figure 10. To make changes to an existing Sequence Table, select the Sequence Table and click the "Edit Table" button.
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| Figure 10: Finished Sequence Tables. |
Step 4: Import Chromatographic Data Files (Runs)
Chromatographic data files (i.e., raw chromatographic data), referred to as Runs, are imported by clicking the "Import..." button. The files can be either copied physically or linked into the project's runs folder. Figure 11 shows a list of imported files.
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| Figure 11: Importing chromatographic data files. |
Step 5: Associate Runs with Vials
This step is skipped if a sequence table is provided. The project uses the Vial-Run association provided in the sequence table.
Runs (i.e., raw chromatographic data files) that have been imported can be manually associated with the created Vials. To do this, as shown in Figure 12, select the Vial in the "Vials" list and select the corresponding data file in the "Unassociated Runs" list, then click the "Associate" button to associate the run with the vial.
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| Figure 12: Associating Runs (i.e., chromatographic data files) with Vials. |
Figure 13 shows a list of Associated Runs. One Vial can have multiple associated Runs, but each Run is associated with only one Vial. After a Run is associated, it is removed from the list of Unassociated Runs. To remove an association that has not yet been saved, select the association to be removed and click the "Un-Associate" button.
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| Figure 13: A list of associated Runs. |
Step 6: Import Processed Images
This step is skipped if a sequence table is provided.
Existing images can be imported and renamed based on the Vial-Run association. Figure 14 shows a list of associated Vial-Run pairs and the images that have been selected to be imported and renamed. Once ready, click on the "Import & Rename" button. After the Runs are imported and renamed, the project tree lists the images under the corresponding Vial and Run as shown in Figure 15.
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| Figure 14: Importing images for renaming and associating with Run data files. |
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| Figure 15: A list of renamed Images under the Overview node in the Project Tree. |
Step 7: Import Processing Files
Processing files, such as Calibration Table files, templates (bt), Configuration files (cfg), and Colormap Function files (cf), are used to process data, e.g., in Process Runs and Auto Process. To import processing files, click the "Import..." button. Figure 16 shows a list of imported processing files.
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| Figure 16: Importing processing files |
Step 8: Process Runs
If a sequence table is provided, then Auto Process processes runs indicated in the sequence table. Figure 17 shows the button to initiate Auto Process.
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| Figure 17: Auto Process |
Clicking the Auto Process button brings up the Auto Process dialog, shown in Figure 18. Set the desired options and automated actions for processing, then click the "Start" button to begin Auto Process with the selected sequence table. Refer to Auto Process for more information about this step.
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| Figure 18: Auto Process with Sequence Table |
Figure 19 shows a sample Auto Process log.
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| Figure 19: Auto Process log |
If no sequence table is provided, the Associated Runs can be processed with Process Runs, as shown in Figure 20.
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| Figure 20: Process Runs |
To Process Runs, click on the "Process Runs" button shown in Figure 20. Select associated Runs from the "Available" list and move them over to the "Selected" list for processing, as shown in Figure 21. Select the desired options for processing and click the "OK" button to start processing. Refer to Process Runs for more information about this step.
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| Figure 21: Processing Runs |
Step 9: Create Batches
To create a Batch with processed Image(s), click the "Add Batch" button, shown in Figure 22.
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| Figure 22: Create Batch |
Figure 23 shows the dialog for creating a Batch. To include Images in a Batch, select them in the "Available" list and click the ">" button. Provide desired Batch metadata, then click "OK".
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| Figure 23: Creating a Batch. |
Step 10: Create Calibration Tables
To create a Calibration Table, select an existing Batch, then click the "Save Calibration Table" button, shown in Figure 24.
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| Figure 24: Saving the Calibration Table from a Batch. |
The dialog for specifying the file name for saving a Calibration Table is shown in Figure 25.
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| Figure 25: Specifying a file name to save the Calibration Table. |
Step 11: Finish
When the project is complete, click "Finish" to save the project.
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GC Image (LCxLC Edition)™ Users' Guide © 2001–2011 by GC Image, LLC, and the University of Nebraska.