2.3.6. Export Menu

Two copy options permit the export of images from the Graphics Editor to either the clipboard or to file in one of bitmap (.PNG) or enhanced metafile (.EMF) formats. UNISTAT graphs can also be exported directly to Word, Excel or to the default web browser.

2.3.6.1. Copy Bitmap

Graphs are copied as they are displayed on the screen. Therefore, their resolution depends on the resolution of the screen, as well as the size of the graph.

In order to obtain the best resolution from a bitmap, first maximise the Graphics Editor, switch off display of Graphics Toolbar and Drawing Toolbar and then select Export → Copy Bitmap. When the File option is selected, the program will prompt for a file name. The default file extension for bitmap files is .PNG. Ensure that files are saved with this extension. Otherwise, some drawing or graphics editing packages may not be able to recognise the file.

The image in Graphics Editor can also be copied to the clipboard in bitmap format by simply pressing <Alt> + <Print Screen>, a facility provided by the Windows environment. The only difference is that UNISTAT’s Export → Copy Bitmap option will copy only the graph area (excluding the menu bar and the toolbar), whereas <Alt> + <Print Screen> copies the entire window including borders, menu bar and toolbars.

2.3.6.2. Copy Metafile

Metafiles store graphics images in vector format and thus their resolution is not limited with the screen resolution (in other words, they are device-independent). When they are replayed, metafiles redraw the image in the resolution determined by the output device.

When the Export → Copy Metafile → File option is selected, the program will prompt for a file name. The default file extension for enhanced metafiles is .EMF. Ensure that metafiles are saved with this extension. Otherwise, some drawing or graphics editing packages may not be able to recognise the metafile.

Metafiles saved from UNISTAT can be opened or pasted into Windows graphics editing packages such as MS Draw or MS Power Point. You can then edit any object on the graph, including lines, curves, text, or change positions of existing objects or add new objects like lines and text. You can also insert a metafile saved from UNISTAT into Word or Excel, and then open the metafile into the drawing utility by double-clicking on the graph.

Graphs can also be printed to file in vector graphics formats such as PCL, EPS (postscript) or PDF (Adobe Acrobat). For further information see 2.3.3.4. Print.

2.3.6.3. Metafile Orientation

As we have seen above, UNISTAT creates metafiles by selecting the Export → Copy Metafile option. The Export → Metafile Orientation option allows you to create metafiles with an original aspect ratio (scaling) of Landscape or Portrait.

Although the metafiles created by UNISTAT are fully scaleable, under certain circumstances it may be important to know whether the metafile was originally scaled in Landscape or Portrait orientation. If, for instance, the original scaling was Landscape and you wish to print the metafile in Portrait orientation, then some text (especially the left Y-axis numbers) may look displaced in the printout. If the metafile was created in portrait mode, then the correct aspect ratio of the graph would be retained and no such problem would have been encountered.

Even if the printer is configured in portrait orientation and this option is set to Portrait, graphs printed in 1/2 page will not retain their correct aspect ratio. In this case you should select the Landscape orientation using this option before printing the graph.

2.3.6.4. Metafile Background

The Export → Metafile Background option is used to control whether the metafiles saved from UNISTAT will be Transparent or Opaque when displayed over other objects. When Opaque is checked, the area covered by a metafile will be cleared first. When Transparent is checked, however, the metafile will be drawn without clearing the covered area first. In this way the user can overlay two different kinds of plot, say a histogram and a line chart. 

Another point to remember is that even when the Transparent box is selected, the graphics background and the graphics area colours will not be transparent unless they are both white (see 2.3.2.2. UNISTAT Graphics Objects).

2.3.6.5. Export Options

The Export → Export Options menu duplicates the tasks of the Output Medium Toolbar buttons. For more information see 2.2. Output Medium.

When you finish editing in Graphics Editor, you can select the appropriate export option (or click on the appropriate toolbar button) to send the graph to the desired Output Medium.

Last Procedure Dialogue: The last step in the hierarchy of Procedure Dialogues will be displayed allowing you to change selections without having to run the same procedure from the menu again.

Output Window: This is the Default Output Medium for Stand-Alone Mode. Graphics images are sent to this window in the form of enhanced metafile (.EMF) objects. See 2.2.1. UNISTAT Output Window.

Word for Windows: Selecting this option will send the current image to Word in enhanced metafile (.EMF) format. Graphs are inserted into the current document, at the cursor location. See 2.2.2. Output to Word.

Excel for Windows: Select this option to send the current graph to Excel in enhanced metafile (.EMF) format. Graphs are inserted into the current worksheet, at the active cell. See 2.2.3. Output to Excel.

Web Browser: If output has been sent to the browser before, the program will stop and ask whether you want to overwrite the existing files or append the new output to the existing HTML page. Images are sent in PNG bitmap format. See 2.2.4. Output to Web Browser.

The Clipboard: The text will be sent to the clipboard with a fixed-width font as in the Output Window option above.