“If I had to pick three software packages to take to a desert island, Origin would be at the top of the list. Not only does Origin handle the most demanding curve fitting and data analysis tasks with ease, and makes superior publication quality graphs; it also has a built in C compiler that allows me to customize complex functions – a feature that has been crucial to my research. To top it off, Originlab has a knowledgeable and responsive technical support staff, second to none. I wholeheartedly recommend Origin.”

Mark Kuzyk, Ph.D.
Boeing Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Associate Chair
Washington State University

Origin’s new multi-sheet workbooks with rich-text formatting let you consolidate and manage imported data, images, database queries, related analysis results and graphs.

Graphs, images, and notes can be embedded in worksheet cells, facilitating better project organization, documentation and report generation.

Quickly review the profile of each dataset by glancing at its sparkline1 at the top of each worksheet column.

Sheets can be dragged and dropped to easily reorganize the active workbook, or to place into another workbook.

Create column formulas that operate on any dataset within the Origin project using built-in mathematical and statistical functions or LabTalk statements that call X-Functions. The column formulas can be set to automatically recalculate the results whenever the source data is changed.

Origin’s workbooks support multiple worksheets that have header regions for long names, units, user-defined parameters, comments and sparklines. Data columns support mixing text and numeric, or pure numeric columns ranging from 1-byte to 16-byte complex data types.

Import Wizard: Origin’s Import Wizard includes three methods for extracting header information into variables, one of which is the ability to extract them by specifying one or more delimiters.

New SQL Querying Tool: Graphically construct SQL queries, join tables, save queries, and more using Origin’s SQL Query tool. The tool uses an ActiveX® Data Object (ADO).

Getting your data into Origin is easy–you can access your data from a broad range of sources by either importing data files, using SQL database queries, or directly opening Microsoft® Excel workbooks. Import file formats include ASCII, ETAS Inca, imc Mess-Systeme GmbH - FAMOS, MDS Analytical Technologies (Molecular Devices) pCLAMP®, Mathematica®, MATLAB®, MINITAB®, National Instruments™ LabVIEW®, DIAdem™ DAT and TDM/TDMS, Princeton Instruments, and Thermo® SPC data files or you can program your own.

For ASCII files with header information or binary files of known structure, an Import Wizard with data preview lets you instruct Origin on how to parse and import your data. Import filters can be saved and used in the future with similar data.

You can either import Excel files into Origin’s new workbook, or open Excel files directly within Origin.

The pCLAMP import routine lets you import multiple files and includes the ability to select which channels (by name) and/or episodes (by number) to import. After importing, each worksheet column can display a sparkline so that you can quickly see the dataset profiles.

Metadata, such as file name, creation date, path, and extracted variables, is stored with the imported data and can be accessed in the Workbook Organizer. You can even add your own metadata.

Origin’s wide array of 2D, 3D, statistical and contour graph types can be created with the click of a button. You can even instantly add a data plot to an existing graph using drag-and-drop from any worksheet or Excel workbook.

All elements of your graph can be customized using point-and-click interfaces, enabling you to format your graph as you desire. Formatting in a graph can be copied from one graphical element and pasted onto another or saved as a theme and applied later. A Theme Organizer lets you manage built-in and saved themes as well as apply them to your graphs or set a system theme. In addition, your customized graphs can be saved as graph templates in order to create additional graphs of the same style. The ability to create themes, as well as graph templates, can significantly save time when creating, and recreating, custom presentation quality graphs.

Easily add your Origin worksheets, results sheets, or graphs to technical publications, slide shows, posters, or lab reports.

Copy your graph, and paste or paste-link in PowerPoint®, CorelDraw®, Microsoft® Word, or any other OLE 2 application. Export your graph to a wide variety of formats including favorites such as AI, BMP, EPS, JPG, PDF, TIFF, WMF, and many more. Make graph attribute changes for the exported graph without modifying the original using the Graph Export dialog.

Samples of Publication Quality Graphs

Origin’s Plot Details dialog box gives you complete control over your graph elements. Specialized tabs dynamically provide controls for editing all graph types.

Origin 8 can automatically update any analysis operation whenever your source data or analysis parameters are changed.

This powerful feature can be used to create Analysis Templates that are pre-configured to perform analysis and update results. Analysis Templates may consist of either a single Origin workbook or an entire Origin project.

Setting up your Analysis Template...

Set up your analysis the way you want. After your initial analysis has completed, just clear your raw data and save the window to make an Analysis Template.

“With tools, such as LabVIEW and MATLAB, data acquisition and generation has become a highly automated task in the research environment. This, however, generates massive amounts of information, which is increasingly more difficult to handle. This is where the new Origin 8 comes as a best solution. Its new workbook environment, with multiple datasheets and automated data analysis, as well as very flexible import capabilities, allows for fast and efficient organization of the data. Impressive statistical analysis, nonlinear fitting and graphing capabilities make it a unique and highly adjustable tool for efficient research.”

Ruslan Prozorov, Ph.D.
Ames Laboratory and Department of Physics & Astronomy
Iowa State University

Origin’s command window can be used to execute commands and build scripts, as a calculator, and more. Auto complete is provided when typing in X-Functions, while roll back support is included to search through the command window history for previously executed commands.