With the "Load Workspace...", "Save Workspace...", and "Save Workspace with Data..." options in the File menu, you can save the current state of all open SIGVIEW windows and their configurations as a "Workspace" and reload it later.


Concept


SIGVIEW offers two types of Workspace files:


1. Workspace-only *.SWS files


    • This format saves the structure of your analysis system and the file names of the loaded files, without saving the actual signal content or analysis results.
    • For example, if you load a signal, perform an FFT on it, and save the workspace, SIGVIEW saves only the name of the signal file and the fact that you performed an FFT with specific parameters. It does not save the actual signal values or FFT results.
    • Reloading the workspace will reflect any changes made to the original signal file since saving the workspace
    • A workspace file typically includes information visible in the Control Window, properties for each window, including axes properties, and zoom information


2. Workspace with data *.SWSD files


    • This format saves the same information as SWS files, plus the actual data (samples, calculated values) from each window. The content of this SWS file inside the SWSD archive must not be edited manually.
    • An SWSD file is essentially a ZIP archive containing an SWS file and additional DAT files that store window data
    • For example, if you perform data acquisition and track instrument values over time, all acquired and calculated data will be saved in the SWSD file
    • For saving large amounts of data, for example after long data acquisitions, creating SWSD file can last longer. You will see a command-line window displaying the progress of creating and compressing the file


Note: If you delete a parent window of an analysis/calculation window before saving to a Workspace file (e.g., calculate FFT from a signal and then delete the source signal window), that analysis/calculation window will not be restored upon loading the SWS file. This is because the necessary information about the parent window is missing.



SWS File format


SIGVIEW saves its workspace in a file with the extension SWS (SIGVIEW Workspace). This file is a plain text file with a structure similar to Windows *.INI files. Its structure is quite simple and easy to understand or even to edit manually. You can open a SWS file with any text editor and perform some changes if required. You can even edit its content from another application automatically to control SIGVIEW functionality.


For all loaded signals, SIGVIEW saves their full path names in a workspace file. When opening that workspace file later, SIGVIEW searches for those files in their original location first (for example c:\temp\mysignal.wav). If the file does not exist in that location, SIGVIEW tries to load the file with the same name from the folder where the SWS file is. Therefore, if you want to distribute workspace files with all the signals needed, you just have to be sure that the SWS and signal files are in the same folder on the target computer.


Information about window location and size will also be saved for every window. This information is relative to the size of the main SIGVIEW window, so you can be quite sure that the loaded workspace will look the same in every screen resolution or SIGVIEW window size.


It is also possible to create a workspace file without defining exact signal file names in it. When opening such a workspace file, SIGVIEW will ask you for a file name for each signal file used in this workspace. To create such a workspace file, just save it once normally – with file names, then open the SWS file with any text editor program and replace all file names in it (all FileName=.... keys) with “FileName=choose”.


You also use drag 'n drop to drag one or more Workspace files from Windows Explorer and drop them into the SIGVIEW window. The effect will be the same as if loading these files by using the "Load Workspace..." menu option.


Using a Workspace file as a command line argument


For general information about using command-line functionality, see this chapter.


It is possible to use an SWS file as a command line argument when starting SIGVIEW, for example:


%SIGVIEW_EXE% c:\myworkspace.sws


SIGVIEW will start and open this workspace. It is also possible to define all needed signal file names in the command line as well. In order to do that, you should first save your SWS file with some file names you used to create and test the workspace. Then, open the SWS file with a text-editor and replace these file names in lines starting with "FileName=" with placeholders of the form “#X”, where X=1,2,3...,.


For example, you would replace the line:


FileName=c:\mysignaldir\mytestfile1.wav


with


FileName=#1 


Then, you can start SIGVIEW with:


%SIGVIEW_EXE% c:\Analysis1.sws c:\file1.wav c:\file2.wav


Every appearance of “#1” in the Analysis1.sws will be replaced with “c:\file1.wav”, every appearance of “#2” with “c:\file2.wav”, and so on.... Your Workspace will open and load the files specified in the command line.


Saving file names in a Workspace


If you are saving a Workspace (SWS file) containing windows with file-based signals (for example, loaded WAV files), SIGVIEW will offer you two options:


  1. Save full file names in a file: Each time you load the workspace, your files (if they still exist) will be automatically loaded. The result will be exactly the same as the workspace you saved if those signal files did not change in the interim.
  2. Do not save file name information in a file: A saved workspace will be used as a template for operations on any files. Each time you try to load the workspace, SIGVIEW will offer you a file load dialog to choose a file which should be loaded for each window from the workspace which contained the file-based signal. This can be used to speed up the analysis you often have to perform on different files, similar to Custom tools.



Examples


Several example workspace files are installed in the “Examples” subdirectory of SIGVIEW's application data directory (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Application Data\Sigview\) and can be accessed directly through the “Help/Examples... ” option in the main menu.