Learn More About the Origin Graph Export Server

What does the server do?

The Origin evaluation copy does not include all of Origin's graph export formats such as EPS, JPEG, and TIFF. OriginLab has set up a Graph Export Server, which receives your Origin graph via e-mail, and then uses Origin's standard graphics export abilities to produce the desired graphics format file. If this file is less than 150kB, then it is promptly e-mailed back to you. If it is larger, then you receive a web link which you can use to download the file.

How does the server work?

The Origin Graph Export Server is a standard version of Origin that has been customized using add-on modules and tools developed using OriginPro. The OMail and WKS2HTM modules are used by the server to send the graph to you, and to create the server status page report.

A small version of OMail is included with every copy of the evaluation version of Origin. A LabTalk script that uses the OMail module sends an e-mail from the evaluation copy, with your graph attached as an Origin OGG file, to our server. The graph export options are put into the subject line of the e-mail for the Origin server to read.

The Origin server uses OMail to check e-mails periodically. When new mail arrives, the Origin server uses LabTalk to read the subject line of the message and parse out the settings. The graph is then exported to create the desired graphics format file, and then e-mailed back, or posted for download.

The Origin server uses a standard worksheet to log the requests and its progress in completing them. A LabTalk script uses the WKS2HTM module to export the worksheet as an HTML file to a web page.

Are there any limitations on the server?

Any configuration unique to your computer may not carry over when exporting your graph using the Graph Export Server. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Fonts that you use in your Origin graph may not be available on the Graph Export Server. If they aren't, a font replacement may be used. In some cases, the text may not show up at all.

If you have defined and are using a custom color in your graph, that color will not carry over into the exported image. Instead, one of two things may happen:

• If you have replaced one of the 24 colors in Origin's Color Palette (Format : Color Palette), the exported image you receive will have replaced your custom color with the original color reserved for that position in the palette. This is because the Graph Export Server uses the default Origin Color Palette.

• If you added a color to Origin's 24 color Color Palette, that color will be replaced by black. Again, since the Graph Export Server uses Origin's default Color Palette (which has only 24 elements), it has no way of knowing that you have added a custom color. Since black is the first color in the Color Palette, Origin uses black.

How do I make my own Origin server?

The OMail module that is included with every copy of the evaluation version is restricted to sending mail only to our Origin server. If you want to create your own Origin server to automate a graphing or analysis process, you may want to purchase OriginPro and the OMail and WKS2HTM modules.

OriginPro allows you to develop sophisticated interfaces using industry standard development tools. You can create dialog boxes, tabbed tools and wizards and easily link them to LabTalk scripts. You can program your LabTalk script to use OMail to send and receive e-mail and to process the text and attachments for your own tasks.

For example, you can create your own Origin server that periodically polls e-mails from hundreds of researchers, and processes the attached data. LabTalk script could be used to perform company standard analysis on the data, produce the graphs, and post the graph and the results on the company's intranet.

OriginLab offers consulting to help you with any part of setting up your own Origin server.