i1Profiler: measurement values inspection

[yannb]

Hello,

Does anyone know how to inspect the values of a printed chart measured in i1Profiler? In Profilemaker Measuretool I have the habit of checking the measured paper white, usually the first patch right after measuring. In i1Profiler, after measuring, clicking on a patch reveals nothing: no L*a*b*, no spectral graph, not even the target CMYK values.

If I then export the measurements file as CGATS .txt and open it with Measuretool, the only thing I can find out are the CMYK values of the patch. I have no idea with what application I can open the .CXF file.

Maybe X-Rite thought 'industry reports show that support is no longer needed' 

Anyone?

Regards,
Yann

[digitaldog]

Totally goofy! But you can use the Data Analysis. You can’t drag the same measurements into A and B but if you drag two similar measurements (same patch set), the click on the Comparison, it does give you the two lab values of each measurement and in this case, the unnecessary deltaE values. Might try copying the data file, changing the name so both can be loaded, didn’t try that. Saving out the report and viewing it in a browser makes it easier to see which is the measurement data you want to review as obviously one is just there to get the report in the first place (yes, what where they thinking?).

[Mark D Segal]

(yes, what where they thinking?).

You're presuming they think. :-)

[yannb]

Might try copying the data file, changing the name so both can be loaded, didn’t try that.

Yes, copying the .mxf file works 

But as I'm working with an iSis, how do I compare the UVincluded with the UVexcluded data (or even get to create two profiles)? Don't say I have to measure twice...

Thanks,
Yann

[Ethan_Hansen]

To see the measurement data in MeasureTool, you need to first export the file(s) as CGATS format and then edit them. i1Profiler does not follow standard conventions for field names. In the DATA_FORMAT section, replace every occurrence of SPECTRAL_ with nothing. For example, SPECTRAL_NM380 must become NM380. MeasureTool can then read the files and see the spectral data. i1Profiler can view the results as well.

To compare UV-excluded to UV-included measurements, compare the ..._M2.txt (UVex) to .._M0.txt (UV included). You can do very basic comparisons in i1Profiler, but the full analysis and reporting tools from MeasureTool did not make it into the slick, new product.

[Mark D Segal]

To see the measurement data in MeasureTool, you need to first export the file(s) as CGATS format and then edit them. i1Profiler does not follow standard conventions for field names. In the DATA_FORMAT section, replace every occurrence of SPECTRAL_ with nothing. For example, SPECTRAL_NM380 must become NM380. MeasureTool can then read the files and see the spectral data. i1Profiler can view the results as well.

To compare UV-excluded to UV-included measurements, compare the ..._M2.txt (UVex) to .._M0.txt (UV included). You can do very basic comparisons in i1Profiler, but the full analysis and reporting tools from MeasureTool did not make it into the slick, new product.

Why should one need to depend on good people like yourselves on a web forum to get this kind of information? Shouldn't this sort of documentation be included with the product or on X-Rite's web site?

[yannb]

Why should one need to depend on good people like yourselves on a web forum to get this kind of information? Shouldn't this sort of documentation be included with the product or on X-Rite's web site?

Exactly. Right after getting the box of the i1Publish (A!) upgrade, I was hoping to discover something more than just the installer I had already downloaded from their website. Nada. Even Profilemaker's mediocre html based documentation was better. Their website is no big help either, if only they had a forum like this, then most of us wouldn't have to hunt around the web for answers and post all these questions on third party websites.

Regards,
Yann

[Rhossydd]

Why should one need to depend on good people like yourselves on a web forum to get this kind of information? Shouldn't this sort of documentation be included with the product or on X-Rite's web site?

Absolutely right.
Part of the problem is that X-Rite don't understand why the help system has any faults.
There's a worryiung lack of understanding of who uses their software and why they might need more information about it.

[digitaldog]

CGATs format in i1P is a newer version that the older software products, including ColorThink can’t handle. No chance PMP will be updated but ColorThink will be.

[Ethan_Hansen]

CGATs format in i1P is a newer version that the older software products, including ColorThink can’t handle. No chance PMP will be updated but ColorThink will be.

The change from nmxxx to SPECTRAL_NMxxx as a measurement specifier is in the newer version of the CGATS.17- spec . That is the only incompatible entry in i1Profiler's CGATS files. Backwards compatibility was obviously not a priority in the i1Profiler development. Manual editing is a pain, but it makes for compatible files.

Any application that uses LittleCMS can read the i1Profiler CGATS files. X-Rite also distributes a SDK for parsing their CxF files. It is royalty-free, but unfortunately the same legal geniuses responsible for the i1Profiler EULA mess must have been active with the SDK license as well. It contains such gems as: "...Licensee agrees not to develop any product which may directly or indirectly compete with the Software, including without limitation X-Rite’s CxF file format." and, just to be sure all bases are covered, "Licensee will not make any disparaging comments regarding the Software to any third party." CxF is just standard XML, with all the verbosity and unreadability that implies, so reading and writing it requires no top-secret sauce.