Flowlink 5.1 Software Instruction Manual - Isco

Isco Flowlink 5.1 ® Software
Use a Flowlink graph
in another
application
Export Data
When you save a graph or table, it not only appears in the
workspace, but an IGD (Isco Graph Document) file is also saved
in the current directory. You can import an IGD file as an object
into any application that supports OLE 2.1. For example, you can
insert a Flowlink graph or table into your word-processing,
spreadsheet, or presentation files.
There are several ways to import an object. Before importing an
IGD file as an object, you should consider whether linking or
embedding would work best for your needs. Linking and
embedding differ in how they update the file. For this discussion,
let’s consider the Flowlink IGD file as the source, and the
external application’s document as the destination.
A linked object is not part of the destination file. The destination
file only displays a representation of the linked object while it
remembers the location of the source. It remembers the location
so the representation can be updated. If you allow the application
to update the links as the document is opened, it builds a new
representation of the object. If an IGD file is constantly reused
and updated, linking would be ideal if you always wanted the
current view. Another advantage to linking is that it reduces the
destination’s file size. There are some disadvantages to linking.
Since the destination file must remember the location of the
source, the destination file is not very portable. Moving the
destination or the source file will destroy the link.
An embedded object is part of the destination file, but is no
longer part of the source file. The view of the IGD file cannot be
updated by the source. However, you can double-click on it to
open the object in the source application to manually update the
view.
If you are running an application as a scheduled task to process
an IGD file, you must link the IGD file. The application should
also be set to update the links as the document is opened.
Otherwise, the representation of the IGD file will never be
updated.
Inserting an IGD file:
1. Open the application and the destination document.
2. From the menu, select Insert>Object...
3. Select Create from file.
4. Browse for and select the IGD file.
5. (Optional) Check the Link to file box.
6. Click OK. The application will display the IGD file inside
the document.
When a graph, table, or scatter plot is active on the Flowlink
desktop (see How do I Create a Graph), selecting File>Export
will export the series data shown on the graph, table, or plot.
Several export formats are available:
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