As a preface to this FAQ, Datatrend Software would like to encourage
potential users to download the free
demo. It will answer a lot of the simpler questions and give you a feel for the
software.
- How does Grab It work?
 Grab It
loads pictures, prompts the user to define the boundaries of the chart or picture, asks
for the scale information and is then ready to use. Simply follow the on-screen
prompts (cell B1 of the spreadsheet).-
- Does Grab It handle a tilted graph (i.e. not scanned in straight)?
- Yes! Grab It
automatically corrects for tilted charts and graphs. This function is 'seamless',
meaning that you don't need to do anything for it to work. Grab It! handles all of
the calculations as you click without the need to measure the tilt, or straighten out the
picture. The demo clearly illustrates this capability in the linear graph example.
-
- How fast is it? Is it automated?
- Grab It is
fast, but it is not automated. All data must be clicked on to be retrieved. Data is
displayed real-time, as you click.
-
- Can I see a screenshot of Grab it?
- A screenshot of Grab
It is located here.
-
- What is the maximum resolution of the data?
- Resolution is
dependent on 3 things:
- Scan/image quality (pixels/inch).
- The zoom of the screen (in Excel).
- The resolution of your monitor.
These three items, two of which are controlled by your pc, make it impossible
for Grab It to calculate
an exact resolution limit as it does not know the settings on your video
monitor at any given time.
-
- Is there a Macintosh version of Grab It?
- No. Grab It
functions by using Active X controls that are currently only available in Microsoft Excel
97, 2000, or XP for pc's. MS Excel 98 for Macintosh does not support these controls.
-
- What if there are different symbols or noise in the scanned picture?
- Since Grab It
depends on user clicks, simply click the data you want, and avoid the data you
don't. To separate data sets (with different symbols), retrieve one whole set, then
click the
button and retrieve the second set.
-
- How much does Grab It cost?
- $69.95 + shipping,
US funds. There are site license rates here.
-
- What functions are available in the registered version that aren't in the demo?
- The functions
available are:
- User can load new pictures
- User can change axes definitions and output styles.
- Special graph styles are available (stock, multiple y, error bars)
- Angle and point-to-point measurements are available.
-
- How can I increase the accuracy of my data grabbing?
- There are two ways.
The best is to increase the resolution of the image. The next is to increase the zoom in
MS Excel itself. Note, increasing the zoom is only so effective. Going past the resolution
of your picture can cause duplicate points to be recorded.
|
