6.2 Importing Third Party Files

Import-ThirdPartyFormats

Methods of Third-party File Import

Origin can import data from a wide variety of third-party file formats. Many import routines are installed with the product. Others are available as free downloads.

There are three places in Origin where you will find third-party import routines:

Main Menu: Data > Connect to File

Data Connectors are Origin's newest data import technology. A number of pre-installed Connectors are listed under Data: Connect to File. Additionally, an Add New... sub-menu opens the App Center and searches for additional Data Connectors that you can download free-of-charge. Note that installed Data Connector Apps are also accessible from the Connectors tab of the Apps Gallery, normally docked to the right-side of the Origin workspace.

Main Menu: Data > Import from File

Common third-party formats are available from this menu. These are older, but still-supported import routines that typically use (a) import dialog settings saved to the sheet or (b) an Origin Import Filter (*.oif) to parse data in the import file. If you are not finding an Import from File format, you can check the Add/Remove File Types... sub menu. This opens the Import Menu Customization dialog listing all supported file formats. Use this dialog to show or hide formats.

If you do not see an Add/Remove File Types... menu item, choose Preferences: Import Filters Manager, then click Customize Menu and check the Show "Add/Remove File Types..." menu box. This will restore Data: Import from File: Add/Remove...

Apps Gallery

There may be additional Apps available for importing third-party file formats. Press F10 to open the App Center, click on the Search tab on the left, and then enter the word import into the edit box and press Enter. Installed Apps will have a green check mark beside them. Those not installed will have a black download icon beside them. You can then select which import Apps you want to download and install. Installed Apps will appear on one or more of the Apps Gallery tabs, docked to the right-side of your Origin workspace.

Supported File Types

The following table lists various third-party formats supported by Origin. This includes the older, *.oif-supported import routines as well as the newest Connectors. Those not listed in the default menu are linked to instructions for adding the import routine.

For more specific information on importing supported third party files by X-Functions(Tools under the Data > Import from File menu), see the X-Function Help file (click Help, and then click X-Functions, or press F1 while the dialog box is open).

For direct access to the documentation from the Command Window, type the following at the command prompt:

help X-FunctionName

If you have a third party file that isn't currently supported, you may be able to develop your own import routine using the Origin Import Wizard (requires some Origin C coding ability). For more information, see "Importing chapter" in Origin C Guide.

File Metadata

When you import a file, the file's date, name, and path are saved to the target workbook. Some third-party files contain additional metadata that is saved upon file import. For example, Origin will save time format information from an NI DIAdem .DAT file.

You can view the metadata associated with an imported file in the following ways:

• View the information in the Workbook Organizer. To open the Organizer, right-click the workbook title bar and click Show Organizer in the menu.
• View the information in the Insert Info Variables dialog box. Metadata associated with a given workbook may be inserted into a text object in that book, or into plots of workbook data, with a shortcut key combination. For more information see "Inserting Variables Extracted from Imported ASCII Files into Text Labels".
• For basic information, enter the following script command in the Command Window:

page.info = <ENTER>

• For more complete information, enter the following script command in the Command Window:

impinfo <ENTER>

• View information in the Column Properties dialog box, User Tree tab. To open the Properties dialog box, double-click the column heading, then click the User Tree tab. Origin stores file information here but the tree can be edited by the user.

With some files (e.g., .WAV and Thermo .SPC/.CGM), parameters read from the file headers are added to the target worksheet for graphing or analysis purposes. For instance, the sampling interval of a .WAV file is written to the header row of the target worksheet. When you plot the imported data, the sampling interval is used to set the X axis increment.

Import Mode

For most supported third party files, you can set the import range using controls in the import dialog boxes. Import Mode options are:

• Replace Existing Data: The data that exists in the target window will be cleared on data import.
• Start New Rows: Append new rows, as needed.
• Start New Columns: Append new columns, as needed.
• Start New Sheets: Create a new sheet for each imported file.
• Start New Books: Create a new book for each imported file.