It might require too much computation time but I was wondering if the DataFinder could calculate and store such characteristic values as channel min/max during it's index. I would find this really helpful.
If it is not practical to do on the fly, how about an extra option on the context menu in Navigator - in addition to 'Re-Index File' etc there would be 'Calculate Characteristic Values' which would then calculate and save the valeus back to the files for the file/folder/drive selected.
Hi Martin,
R&D has added this functionality and more like it to the DataFinder Server 2017, which now has a component you can optionally configure and use called the Preprocessor. There were several problems with solving your request within the DataPlugin or within the DIAdem application. Ideally these min/max (and other) properties would be calculated only once, but without a file format change there was no guaranteed way to store those new properties in all the file formats that DataPlugins support. Also, many customers require that the acquired data files remain unedited, so even if the data file format did support adding new channel properties, that is not always allowed in some companies. If alternatively we had added the calculated properties just to the DataFinder index, then loading the data file directly from disk with DataFileLoad() would have required those properties to be recalculated by DIAdem each time the file was loaded.
The solution with the new Preprocessor in the DataFinder Server 2017 is to allow you to automatically clean up and enhance the raw data file contents delivered by the DataPlugin AND create a new data file to hold the raw data and these changes in either TDM or TDMS file format. This way these updates happen only once and are available to the DataFinder when the data file is indexed and to DIAdem when the data file is loaded. The raw data file can be retained untouched, if required, and only the new TDM or TDMS file is added to the Search Area. All the DIAdem statistics options are available in the Preprocessor, not just min and max calculations. Also available in the Preprocessor are property name and property value mapping, unit conversions, and validation steps. It is planned that in future DFSE versions the Preprocessor will be able to create cleaned and enhanced new files in standard file formats other than TDM or TDMS, such as perhaps MDF4 or ATFX.
The previous behavior of the DataFinder Server is still available to all customers, which is often all that is needed. You don't have to use the Preprocessor, you can still index the unchanged raw data files and create no new data files, if you prefer.
Ask if you have questions about any of this!
Brad Turpin
DIAdem Product Support Engineer
National Instruments
brad.turpin@ni.com