Spike Windows

Creating a Spike Display

When a spike acquisition entity (AE) is added to your system,  no display is created for it.  In order to see what the spike AE is doing, you need to create a spike window and then add a plot for the AE.

You can create a spike window from the Window menu on __prod_name's main window.



You will then get a new, empty spike window.  To add a plot to the window you can either use the Display menu of the new window or right click anywhere in the window and select Add Plot(s).  You will then see the Acquisition Entity Selection dialog.  Select one or multiple (by holding down Shift or Ctrl, just like multi-select in Windows) AE and click the Add Acquisition Entities button to add plots.




Spike Window Overview

This section will give you a general overview of each of the parts of the Spike window.  There are more detailed descriptions of some of the sections after this overview.

Spike windows have the concept of a current plot.  This plot is indicated by a purple plot title bar and the name of the plot shown in the window's title bar.  In the following image, the current plot in SpikeWindow1 is TT2.  When a plot is current, all plot specific menu options and keyboard short cuts will be directed at that plot (i.e. setting the audio source).  A plot can be made current by clicking on it.  When a new plot is added, it is automatically set to the current plot.


1. Title Bar The spike window title bar will always display the name of the window along with the name of the currently selected plot in this window.  The currently selected plot will also have a purple title bar. TT2 is the current plot in the above image.  Additional information can also be displayed in the window's title bar, such as whether or not the plot is frozen.  
2. File Menu This menu will expand to show some common window tasks.  See the detailed description of the video window's file menu.
3. Display Menu This menu will expand to allow you to manipulate some of the display aspects of the Spike window.  See the detailed description of the Spike window's display menu.
4. Audio Menu This menu will expand to allow you to manipulate the audio output settings in __prod_name.  See the detailed description of the Spike window's audio menu.
5. Spike Plots This area will contain the spike plots for this window.  Spike plots can either be in maximized (only one plot is visible ) or normal (all plots in this window are visible).  For more information on the spike plot, see the spike plot description.
6. Close Window Clicking on this X will close a window, exactly as it does for all Windows programs.  Closing a window will destroy the window.  This means that when you close a window, all of the display settings you have changed and plots you have added to the window will be lost.  
7. Maximize Window Clicking this button behaves the same as it does for all Windows programs on your system.
8. Minimize Window Clicking this button will minimize this window to the bottom of the screen.  It will not minimize this window to the taskbar as it does with most Windows programs.


Spike Window File Menu


1. Save Window Configuration To File Saves the window, plot and all of their current settings to a configuration file.  This file can be reloaded at any time.  However, the acquisition entities associated with all of the plots in this window must exist, and a window with the same name must not exist in __prod_name when the file is loaded.  This does not save the current hardware or acquisition entity settings.
2. Close Window Clicking on this menu option will close a window, exactly as it does for all Windows programs.  Closing a window will destroy the window.  This means that when you close a window, all of the display settings you have changed and plots you have added to the window will be lost. After you click the close button, a message box will be shown where you will confirm that you want to destroy the window.

Spike Window Display Menu

1. Add Plots Clicking this menu option will allow you to add a spike plot to this window.  When you select add plot, you will see the Acquisition Entity selection dialog.  This dialog will have a list of available spike acquisition entities that can be used to create a plot and add it to this window.
2. Remove Plots Clicking this menu option will allow you to remove spike plot(s) from the window.  When you select remove plot, you will see the Acquisition Entity selection dialog.  This dialog will have a list of all the plots currently in the spike window.  The user may select any number of plots to be removed.
3. Plot Type Selection This menu item contains a sub menu listing the plot types available.   See Plot Type Selection under the Spike Window Properties section for more details.
4. Clear Window This will force all plots to clear themselves.  This is usually used when using overlay mode.  In addition to this menu command, you can press the C key with the window selected to clear the display.
5. Lock Window Size When the window size is locked, you will see a check mark next to this option.  Locking the window size will disable resizing of the window.
6. Maximize View Clicking this menu item with toggle between maximize and normal view.  Normal view contain a plot being displayed in the window for every plot that exists for the window.  Maximize view shows only the current plot, and the plot is maximized to the entire window display.  There will be a checkmark next to this menu item when the window is in maximized view.  This menu option is not available when there are no plots in the window.
7. Overlay Mode The overlay menu option will switch the window in and out of overlay mode.  When there is a check mark next to the menu item, this means the display is currently in overlay mode.  When in overlay mode, the window will show all data in every plot.  Clearing the display or resizing the window will cause all plots to clear their displays.  In addition to this menu command, you can press the O key  with this window selected to toggle overlay on and off.
8. Freeze (Frozen) Window Selecting this menu option will freeze the drawing for all plots currently being displayed in the window.  The word "frozen" will also appear in the title bar, after the current plots acquisition entity name.  Clearing the display or resizing the window will cause the window to clear, but no new data will be displayed until the window is no longer frozen.  There is also a check mark next to this option when the window is frozen.  Un-freezing the window will begin to draw new data for each plot.  You will not see any of the data that occurred while the window was frozen, but all data will be processed by __prod_name.  In addition to this menu command, you can press the Spacebar with this window selected to freeze and unfreeze the display.
9. Save Window to Image This option is only available when the window is frozen.  It will allow you to save the current window display to a BMP, PNG or JPG raster image.
10. Window Properties This will bring up the properties page and selects this window in the tree.  If the properties page is closed, __prod_name will open the properties page.  If the properties page is open, it will make sure the properties page is visible.  You can see a detailed description of spike window properties for more information.


Spike Window Audio Menu


1. Set / Clear Left Source This menu option will allow you to set or clear the audio source for the left channel of the __lynxsx_hardware_name acqusition Amplifiers first pair (#1, #2) of Analog Outputs.  This menu uses the current plot to determine what source will be set or cleared.  If the current left source's AE is not the same as the current plot's AE, then this menu will allow you to set the current plot's AE to the current left source.  If, however, the currently selected plot's AE is the same as the current left source's AE, then this menu option will allow you to clear the left source.  Clearing the source will set the source's AE to None.  In the above image, the left audio source has been set to an AE.
2. Set / Clear Right Channel This is identical to the Set / Clear Left Source menu option, except that it affects the right audio channel.
3. Mute Audio When the audio is muted, __prod_name will not output sound through your speakers.  This mutes both the left and right channels.  When the audio is muted, there will be a checkmark next to this menu item.  This command can also be run at any time by using the Ctrl+M keyboard shortcut.  This setting only affects __prod_name, and does not mute the sound for other Windows programs.
4. Audio Options This will launch the Audio Output Dialog for more detailed control over __prod_name's audio output.


Spike Window Properties

The Spike window properties are shown in the properties window when a Spike window or Spike plot is selected in the properties tree.  For more information on the properties window, see the detailed description of the properties window.  Changes made to the window properties will affect all plots within this window.

1. Name  This is the name of this Spike window. It must be unique throughout __prod_name.  The window name is shown in the window's title bar, as well as in the display properties tree.
2. Plot Type Selection Spike plots can be displayed in the following ways:
  1. Waveform:  Shows the extracted waveform for a detected spike.  If more than one waveform is visible, this means more than one spike occurred since the last screen refresh.  The waveform seen in this plot is the exact waveform saved to the spike data records.
  2. Feature:  Shows the calculated feature information in a XY scatter plot.  The features that are plotted can be changed by changing the plot properties.  To change the features available for an acquisition entity, see the -SetFeature command.  The data seen in this plot is the exact data saved to the spike data records.
  1. WaveformFeature:  Shows both the waveform and feature plots.
3. Show Title Bar Sets the visibility of  title bar for the specified display window.  This option can be used to increase the screen space dedicated to showing acquired data or can be used to decrease CPU usage for large channel count systems or older computers.  Since most of the plot icons are located in the title bar, you will not be able to click on the icons when the title bar is hidden.  Since the saved screen space is minimal, it is recommended that you leave the title bars visible if possible.  All data in the window will clear when the title bar visibility is changed.

The show title bar checkbox must be in 1 of the following states:
  1. Checked :  The title bar is visible for all plots in the window.
  2. Unchecked:  The title bar is hidden for all plots in the window.
4. Show Icons Enables or disables the drawing of icons for all plots in the window.  This does not include icons that are part of the title bar.  When icons are hidden, you will not be able to click on them to activate plot commands.  This command can be used to increase the screen space dedicated to showing acquired data or can be used to decrease CPU usage for large channel count systems or older computers.  Since the saved screen space is minimal, it is recommended that you leave the icons visible if possible.  All data in the window will clear when the icon visibility is changed.

The show icons checkbox must be in 1 of the following states:
  1. Checked :  All icons not in the title bar will be shown.
  2. Unchecked:  All icons not in the title bar will be hidden.
5. Show Text Values Enables or disables the drawing of text values for all plots in the window.  This does not include text values that are part of the title bar. This command can be used to increase the screen space dedicated to showing acquired data or can be used to decrease CPU usage for large channel count systems or older computers.  Since the saved screen space is minimal, it is recommended that you leave the text visible if possible.  All data in the window will clear when the text visibility is changed.

The show text values checkbox must be in 1 of the following states:
  1. Checked :  All text values not in the title bar will be shown.
  2. Unchecked:  All text values not in the title bar will be hidden.
6. Overlay Mode Sets a plot window's overlay mode.  Overlaid windows will not clear out old data before displaying new data.  This setting effects all plots in this window.

The overlay checkbox must be in 1 of the following states:
  1. Checked :  The window will not clear out any old data until either a clear command is issued, overlay is turned off, or the window is resized.
  2. Unchecked:  The window will clear out data based on the plot type.
7.  Normal View Feature Plot Quantity This specifies how many feature plots are shown for all plots in the window when the window is showing the WaveformFeature or Feature plot type, and is not maximized.  If the window is showing the Waveform plot type, no change will be seen when this value is changed.  All data in the window will clear when the number of feature plots is changed.
8. Maximized View Feature Plot Quantity When a plot is maximized, it is automatically switched to the WaveformFeature plot type.  Since the Spike plot will now have the entire window to work with, extra Feature plots can be shown.  This specifies how many feature plots are shown in maximized view for all plots that are in the specified window.  All data in the window will clear when the number of feature plots is changed, and the window is in maximized view.
9. Plot Removal Buttons Clicking on th Remove Plot button will delete the currently selected plot from the window.  Clicking on the Remove All Plots button will delete all plots within the window.
10.  Plot Positioning Buttons Clicking on the Move Plot Up button will move the selected plot left or up in the plot window.  Clicking on the Move Plot Down button will move the selected plot right or down in the plot window.