Working with Origin 8.6.
Step1. Importing data
Fig.1 Data import menu
Go to File menu, Import, choose what kind of data are you going to import. In the Fig 1 is the
example of importing of the Simple Single ASCII data set. Your data will go to the current
active worksheet (Data 1 in Fig1). After you have finished with the first data set you can import
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any more data sets if it is necessary. Before importing a next data set you have to prepare a new
worksheet. To do this - go to File menu then to New and you will see a new window (Fig.2).
After a new worksheet is ready
you can import a new data set.
There is another option how to
import several data files in one
step. You have to choose a
Multiple ASCII option (Fig.1).
This will result in appearance a
new window (Fig.3.). Here you
can find a proper place on your
computer containing data files,
then mark them and add to the
list of the imported files (push
Add
file(s)
button.
Import
could be done in three different
ways: (i) you can load each file
Fig.2. Opening a new worksheet
in a separated worksheet, (ii)
you can import all data sets in the same one
worksheet adding new columns to it, or (iii) you
can import all data files in the same worksheet,
but in new roes. Fig.3 shows the first option.
After all files appeared in bottom window push
OK and all data files will be downloaded in to
the Origin worksheet(s). In case of Multiple
ASCII data import you do not need to prepare
worksheets for the new data sets they will be
created automatically. At this point all data files
are downloaded into the Origin project and you
can start plotting the graphs and data analysis.
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Fig.3. Multiple ASCII import
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2. Creating and editing the data plots.
First open the worksheet which
contains the data for plotting. Go to
Plot menu and choose the kind of
plot you like to create. In Fig.4 the
Line and Symbol plot option is
marked. It will be also possible
latter to change this while editing
the plot. It will be also possible to
add more plots to the graph. After
choosing the plot stile the Plot
Setup window will invite to data
selection dialog (Fig.5.). Here in
the top window is the list of all
Fig.4.
available data worksheets.
Middle part of the Plot
Setup window is dedicated
to make links between X
and
axes
and
the
columns in the worksheet.
yEr checkbox is to make a
link to the column (if you
have this data) containing
Y axis error bars, L the
same for labels. To use any
column as label column it
should by initially assigned
Fig.5 Plot Setup.
as Label column (right click on the column name and go Set as Label). It is possible also to add
X axis error bars on the plot. When you assigning the columns for X and Y axes you can mark
several checkboxes for Y axis if it is necessary. After X and Y axes are chosen push Add and
different information about the plot will appear in bottom window. While this dialog you can add
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as many plots to the graph as you need check another worksheet and mark new columns as X,Y
axes (yErr, xErr etc.). After the dialog is done push OK and all chosen data sets will appear in
the same graph. The graph which will open in the graph window will be very simple and you
Fig.6. Graph window with X Y axes menu.
have to work on it a lot to bring to the level required for report or publication. To make a nicer
design of the graph let we start to work on axes. Click on X or Y axis and corresponding pop-up
menu will appear (Fig.6.). Here you can change a lot of related to the graph design: type of the
axis (linear, log10, ln etc.), scales, grids, tick labels, axes titles etc. You can easy switch from Y
axis to X axis using selection window. The next what you can do with the graph is to work on
plot design line style, colors, etc. Click on the plotted line or go to the main menu Format
Plot properties and a new pop-up menu will appear on the graph (Fig.7). At this point you can
redesign each plot depicted in the active graph. You can do it separately with each plot or you
can use the Group (see Origin manual how to use the Group option) option and do all changes in
all presented plots in the same time. This could be very helpful if you work with a large number
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of plots in the graph. In Fig.7 is shown the case of the Line Plot Type but if you will change it
to Line + Symbol there will two more submenus for Symbol style and Drop Lines editing.
Connections between
points (straight, spline etc)
Plots in the graph
Plot type (line, line
And symbol etc.)
Line color
Link to the worksheet
Corresponding to the
active plot
Fig.7. Plot Details menu.
After the graph design has been done you can
save it as graph template for future use. Go to
the main menu File Save Template As. It
will save your Graph without plots and you
can use this template in this or in future
Fig.8. Open template button
project and it will save you a lot of time. To
open a previously designed template you can
use a special toolbar button (see Fig.8.). You can also use template provided by OriginLab. Go to
Tools Template Library. There is a huge selection of different templates but they are not
ready for publication and you have work on Graph design (labels, axes names etc.). One more
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toolbar is very useful while working with graphs. Zoom
in makes enlarging of the particular selected area by
replotting of the data included in this area but not as a
Pointer
Zoom in
Zoom out
Screen reader
Data reader
Data selector
Regional data selector
Regional mask tool
simple zooming of the graphical image. Screen reader
shows X, Y coordinates of the screen in respect to
scales of the axes. Data reader shows
X, Y
coordinates of the selected data point in the graph. Data
selector puts the limits for data in the graph which will
be used in further data analysis (fitting, regressions
etc.). Regional data selector selects data on active
Draw data
Text tool
Arrow tool
Line tool
Circle tool
plot or plots. Regional mask tools selects (deselects)
data on active plot or plots these points will be
excluded from analysis. Draw data is for manual
Insert equation
Fig.9. Tools toolbar
creating of the plot in the graph; corresponding data will
go to a new worksheet. Text tool is for writing text in
any place of the graphical page. Arrow, line, circle
tools are for adding to the Graph
page some lines arrows etc. Insert
equation is a link to MathType,
MSword. MSexcel to place the
equation on the active graph. All
these graphical elements will be
saved when saving this graph as a
template. You can add more layers
or inserts to the graph. Go to Graph
New Layer(Axes).
Some of
those menu options are presented
also in the Graph Toolbar (Fig.10).
The layers on the page can be
resized and rearranged by using
Layer Manager (Graph Layer
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Fig.10. Layers tool
Page 6
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Manager).
3. Data analysis and data fitting
Linear fitting
Origin provides a set of very powerful and convenient tools for data analysis and data fitting. To
perform the polynomial fitting go Analysis Fit Polynomial. The polynomial fit pop-up menu
will
appear
(Fig.12).
This
procedure works
with
graphical
window and if
you have several
plots on the same
graph go first to
main menu Data
and click on the
data set you wont
to work on. The
next step is very
simple you have
Fig. 12.Polynomial Fit menu.
to
choose
the
Order of polynomial, Xmin and Xmax for fit curve and number of points for fit curve. To
display the polynomial coefficients on the graph you have to check Show formula on Graph.
The choice of Xmin and Xmax will not effect the fitting result the entire data set will be used
for fitting. To restrict the range of the data points involved in fitting you can use Data selector
tool (see Fig.9). The maximum polynomial order number is 9. For fitting with linear function
(polynomial order =1) you can use option Analysis Fit Linear. It will do the same as Fit
Polynomial with order =1.
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Nonlinear fitting
To perform the nonlinear fitting procedure go to main menu Analysis Non-Linear Curve Fit
Advanced Fitting Toll The multilayer pop-up Nonlinear Fitting menu is shown in Fig. 13.
Firs step you have to choose from the library the fitting function or write your own function.
The library Functions are grouped in several Categories. For each library
Function you can
the Equation, Sample Curve or Function File information (Sample Curve option in Fig.13). To
write a new function - push User Function button and follow the instructions. There is a
Data
selection
Start
fitting
Function
selection
Function
Equation
expression
User
Function
Multiple
peak option
Fitting
options
Replicas option for some
Simulation
After fitting
Initial
parameters
functions
(Multiple
peak
option in Fig.13.). It is very
convenient tool for multiple
peak fitting you do not need
Control
parameters
to write equation for each
Parameter
constrictions
some settings arrangement in
peak but will need to do the
submenu Replicas.
Selection
submenu
Data
is
for
choosing of the data set or
segment of data set for fitting.
Start fitting (see below) will
Fig.13. Nonlinear fitting menu.
start the Fitting Session. Using the Simulation submenu you can plot the fitting curve or to play
with initial parameters to manually optimize they. Parameter constrictions submenu will set the
constriction to the parameters during the fitting session. In Control parameters submenu you can
adjust some fitting parameters such as tolerance factor, number of significant digits of the fitting
parameters etc. Initial parameters submenu is for enter that initial parameters, but the same you
can do in Fitting session submenu. After fitting submenu gives some options how to plot final
fitting curve. In Fig. 14 the Fitting session window is shown. The most important for successful
fitting is the choice of the initial parameters. They can be entered in corresponding boxes (Value)
here or in Initial parameters submenu. To start fitting push one of three buttons: 1 iter., 200
iter. or 200 Simplex iter. Pushing 1 iter. will results in singe iteration using LevenbergMarquardt (LM) algorithm, 200 iter. 200 LM iterations and 200 Simplex iter. - 200
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Simplex iterations. Number 200 could be changed to 10, 30, 50 or 100 in Control parameters
submenu. Normally, you will not need to use the Simplex method because it is much less robust
and reliable than the LM method. However, if the LM method for a set of data behaves poorly,
try the Simplex method. Some general recommendation of fitting procedure: (i) do not start with
a big number of iteration until you are not sure that the process goes in the proper direction, (ii)
in some cases helps to
fix one or several
parameters
(uncheck
corresponding
checkboxes), (iii) try
to change the value of
Fitting protocol
some
initial
parameters
if
the
fitting does not go
well and start fitting
again.
After
each
iteration step or steps
the fitting curve will
be
displayed
in
graphical window (red
1 LM iteration
200 LM
iterations
Fig. 14. Fitting session Dialog box.
200 Simplex curve in the example
iterations shown in Fig.14). The
criteria
of
end
fitting
is
if
of
the
Reduced Chi-sqr (see fitting protocol window) does not decrease more. Push Done and all
fitting parameters and some complimentary information will be displayed in Graph.
4. Worksheets
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To perform some operations with worksheet first you have to open it. Next right click on the
column header. Column becomes highlighted and a pop-up window appears. Here you can
Fig.15. Working with worksheet.
perform several useful operations on the worksheet. Set As will assign a column X, Y or Z (for
3D graphs) axes data. Set Column Values option will perform some mathematical operation on
the data from one or several columns. Sort Column and Sort Worksheet will perform sorting of
the column or worksheet respectively. Statistics on Column will open a new worksheet
containing all statistical information (Min, Max, Sum, etc.) on data set in the column. Properties
will open a new pop-up window (not shown in Fig.15) and here you can change the Column
Name, Column Label, Column Width, etc. You can also plot the data from the highlighted
column (as Y axis data) in respect of previously assigned X column, but this way of creating a
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plot is less convenient and less flexible as discussed above and shown in Fig.5. Some listed here
operations you can do through the main menu Column (see Fig.15).
5. Final Comments
Origin 7.5 provides much more features and opportunities to work with data and graphs than we
discussed above. It has a powerful engine for 3D graphics, tolls for smoothing the data depicted
in plots. You can apply (main menu Analysis) on the plotted data the Fast Fourier Transform
(FFT), perform some math (Subtract Strait Line or Reference Data) and Calculus
(Differentiate, Integrate) operation on data in plots. Fitting to some typical (Exponential
Growth. Exponential Decay etc.) functions can be performed very simple without opening
Nonlinear Curve Fitting window (Fig.14) go to mane menu Analysis and click on the listed
function.
References
Here is the link to the official OriginLab WEB site:
http://www.originlab.com
For Tutorials go to:
http://www.originlab.com/index.aspx?s=9&lm=72
Manuals and other documentation:
http://www.originlab.com/index.aspx?s=12&lm=66
File Exchange page:
http://www.originlab.com/fileexchange/index.aspx
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