Using the Data Import Wizard

The iTool Data Import Wizard steps you through the process of importing data into the Data Manager. Launch the Data Import Wizard by selecting File → Import... The Data Import Wizard has three screens:

1. Select the data source.

You can import data either from a data file or from the IDL session:

From a File — allows you to select a data file to import.

From an IDL Variable — allows you to select an IDL variable to import. For more information on importing a variable into your Data Manager, see Importing Data from the IDL Session.

2. Select the data and specify a data name.

If you are importing data from a file, the second screen of the Data Import Wizard contains the following items:

File Name — The full path of the file want to open. You can populate this field using a standard dialog by clicking the File Open button.

File Open button

— Displays the standard file-selection dialog.

File Type — After a file is selected, the File Type field displays the format of the file.

Type Properties Window — After a file is selected the properties window shows properties of the file reader that will import the data, if any exist. Modify these properties as necessary to import your data correctly.

Note
For more information about file format types that are available in iTools, see File Readers.

Data Import Name — The name that will be used for the imported data in the Data Manager.

Importing some types of data files may cause IDL to present additional screens that describe the data before import.

For image data see Importing Image Data

For ASCII data see Importing ASCII Data

For binary data see Importing Binary Data

If you are importing data from an IDL variable, the second screen of the Data Import Wizard contains the following items:

List of IDL Variables — All variables available in the current IDL session are listed in a tree view.

Variable Information — Information about the selected variable is displayed to the right of the tree view.

Data Import Name — The name that will be used for the imported data in the Data Manager.

3. Select the type of visualization you want to create.

The Data Import Wizard will automatically create a new visualization of the selected type. Choosing <Default> will create the default visualization for the selected data type, regardless of the type of iTool into which you are importing the data.

Example: Importing a JPEG File

The following example describes how to import a JPEG image file using the Data Import Wizard and display the image:

From an iTool window select File → Import.

Figure 2-2: The IDL Data Import Wizard, Showing Step 1 of 3

Select From a File and click Next.

Figure 2-3: The IDL Data Import Wizard, Showing Step 2 of 3

Click the File Open button

just to the right of the File Name field and select the endocell.jpg file from the examples/data directory of the IDL distribution. Click Next.

Figure 2-4: The IDL Data Import Wizard, Showing Step 3 of 3

Select Image as the desired visualization to create since we have a JPEG image.

Click Finish. The data is imported into the Data Manager, and a new image visualization appears in the iTool window.

Note
The process of creating visualizations is discussed in detail in Visualizations.