pyDatView

A crossplatform GUI to display tabulated data from files or python pandas dataframes. It's compatible Windows, Linux and MacOS, with python 3. Some of its features are: multiples plots, FFT plots, probability plots, export of figures... The file formats supported, are: CSV files and other formats present in the weio library. Additional file formats can easily be added.

Scatter

QuickStart

For Windows users, an installer executable is available here (look for the latest pyDatView*.exe)

Linux users can use the command lines below, but first they'll need to install the package python-wxgtk* (e.g. python-gtk3.0) from their distribution:

git clone https://github.com/ebranlard/pyDatView
cd pyDatView
python -m pip install --user -r requirements.txt
make                                            # will run python pyDatView.py
echo "alias pydat='make -C `pwd`'" >> ~/.bashrc

MacOS users can use a brew, anaconda or virtualenv version of python and pip, but the final version of python that calls the script needs to have access to the screen (for instance using pythonw) (see details for MacOS). We recommend using conda, in the base environment, for which the following commands should work:

conda install -c conda-forge wxpython            # install wxpython
git clone https://github.com/ebranlard/pyDatView -b dev
cd pyDatView
python -m pip install --user -r requirements.txt
make                         # will run ./pythonmac pyDatView.py 
# OR try
#pythonw pyDatView.py        # NOTE: using pythonw not python
echo "alias pydat='make -C `pwd`'" >> ~/.bashrc   # add an alias for quicklaunch

If this fails using the Mac terminal, try the zsh terminal from VSCode or iterm2. More information about the download, requirements and installation is provided further down this page

Usage

Launching the GUI

Windows users that used a setup.exe file should be able to look for pyDatView in the Windows menu, then launch it, and pin the program to the taskbar for easier access.

If you cloned this repository, the main script at the root (pyDatView.py) is executable and will open the GUI directly. A command line interface is provided, e.g.:

python pyDatView.py file.csv  # or pythonw pyDatView.py file.csv

The python package can also be used directly from python/jupyter to display one or multiple dataframe(s) (called df1 and df2 in the example below) or show the data present in one or several file(s). The interface is forgiving for the first argument, and can accept a list or a single value:

import pydatview 
pydatview.show(dataframes=[df1,df2], names=['data1','data2'])
# OR
pydatview.show([df1,df2], names=['data1','data2'])
# OR
pydatview.show(df1)
# OR
pydatview.show(filenames=['file.csv','file2.csv'])
# OR
pydatview.show(['file.csv','file2.csv'])
# OR
pydatview.show('file.csv')

Quicklaunch/Shortcut

Windows

If you used the setup.exe, you will find the pyDatView App in the windows menu, you can launch it from there, pin it to start, pin it to the startbar, open the file location to
If you used the portable version, you'll find pyDatView.exe at the root of the directory. You can launch it and pin it to your taskbar. You can also right click, and create a short cut to add to your desktop or start menu.
If you clone the repository, you can create a shortcut at the root of the repository. In explorer, right click on an empty space, select New , Shortcut. Set the shortcut as follows:

    "C:\PYTHON_DIR\PythonXX\pythonw.exe" "C:\INSTALL_DIR\pyDatView\pyDatView.launch.pyw"

Linux

You can add an alias to your bashrc as follows. Navigate to the root of the pyDatView repository, and type:

    echo "alias pydat='python `pwd`/pyDatView.py'" >> ~/.bashrc

Next time you open a terminal, you can type pydat to launch pyDatView. Adapt to another terminal like .shrc

MacOS

The procedure is the same as for linux, the small issue is that you need to find the "proper" python to call. When you run ./pythonmac from the root of the directory, the script tries to find the right version for you and finishes by showing a line of the form: [INFO] Using: /PATH/TO/PYTHON . This line gives you the path to python. Add pydat as an alias by running the line below (after adapting the PATH/TO/PYTHON):

    echo "alias pydat='PATH/TO/PYTHON  `pwd`/pyDatView.py'" >> ~/.zshrc

Next time you open a terminal, you can type pydat to launch pyDatView.

File association

Windows

To associate a given file type with pyDatView, follow the following steps:

Locate pyDatView.exe. If you installed using setup.exe or the portable zip, you'll find pyDatView.exe at the root of the installation folder (default is C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\pyDatView\). If you cannot find the exe, download it from the repository. If you cloned the repository, you'll find the executable in the subfolder _tools\ of the repository.
Verify that the exe works. Double click on the executable to verify that it lauches pyDatView. If it doesnt, run it from a terminal and look at the outputs.
Add the file association. Right click on a file you want to associate pyDatView with. Select "Open With" > "More Apps" > scroll to "Look for another App on my PC" > Navigate to the location of pyDatView.exe mentioned above. If this works, repeat the operation and check the box "Always use this App for his filetype".

Workflow

Documentation is scarce for now, but here are some tips for using the program:

You can drag and drop files to the GUI directly to open them. Hold the Ctrl key to add.
You can open several files at once, with same or different filetypes. Upon opening multiple files, a new table appears with the list of open files.
To add multiple channels or data from multiple files to a plot, use ctrl + click or shift-click to make selections.
Look for the menus indicated by the "sandwich" symbol (3 horizontal bars ੆). These menus are also accessible with right clicks.
The menus will allow you to edit tables (rename, delete, reload, merge), add or remove columns (for instance to convert a signal from one unit to another unit), or change the values displayed in the information table at the bottom.
Different "actions" (e.g. filtering, binning, masking) are available in the menus data and tools located at the top of the program.
The modes and fileformat drop down menus at the top can usually be kept on auto. If a file cannot be read, pay attention to the file extension used, and possibly select a specific file format in the dropdown menu instead of auto.
Above the taskbar is the "Pipeline" which lists the different actions (e.g. binning, filtering, mask) that are applied to the different tables before being plotted. The pipeline actions will be reapplied on reload, and python code for them will be generated when exporting a script.
Different plot styling options can be found below the plot area. The button next to the "Save" icon can be used to customize the esthetics of the plot (e.g. fontsize, linewidth, legend location).
Live plotting can be disabled using the check box "Live plot". This is useful when manipulating large datasets, and potentially wanting to delete some columns without plotting them.

Features

Main features:

Plot of tabular data within a file
Automatic detection of fileformat (based on weio but possibility to add more formats)
Reload of data (e.g. on file change)
Display of statistics
Export figure as pdf, png, eps, svg
Export python script
Export data as csv, or other file formats

Different kind of plots:

Scatter plots or line plots
Multiple plots using sub-figures or a different colors
Probability density function (PDF) plot
Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) plot

Plot options:

Logarithmic scales on x and y axis
Scaling data ("min/max") when ranges and means are different
Synchronization of the x-axis of the sub-figures while zooming
Markers annotations and Measurements
Plot styling options

Data manipulation options:

Remove columns in a table, add columns using a given formula, and export the table to csv
Mask part of the data (for instance selecting times above a certain value to remove the transient). Apply the mask temporarily, or create a new table from it
Filter data (e.g. moving averaging, low-pass filters)
Bin data
Change units
Estimate frequency and damping from a signal
Curve fitting
Extract radial data from OpenFAST input files

Screenshots

Scatter plot (by selecting Scatter) and several plots on the same figure:

Scatter

Fast Fourier Transform of the signals (by selecting FFT) and displaying several plots using subfigures (by selecting Subplot).

SubPlotFFT

Probability density function:

![PlotPDF](/../screenshots/screenshot

PyDatView

Install / Use

README