This section describes how to make a display using files or a directory located on your local machine.

Image 1: Satellite Image in the Main Display Window

The set of steps include:

• Loading Local Files
• Loading Local Files from a Directory
• Creating the Display

In the Data Explorer window, select the Data Sources tab. On the left side of this tab, select General->Files from the list of available choosers. For more information about this chooser, see Choosing Data on Disk.

Image 2: Data Sources Tab of the Data Explorer

1. Navigate to the directory that contains the file(s) you are interested in. Use the Look In menu to select directories, or double-click on directory names to open the directories and load individual files.
2. Select one or more files. Multiple files can be selected using Ctrl+click or Shift+click.
3. Optionally, specify the type of data the file contains by using the Data Type menu.
4. When done, load the selected file(s) by clicking the button.

Loading files from a directory is similar to loading files, however you are limited to one directory. Loading files from a directory also gives you the options of polling files, as well as limiting files to a specific file pattern.

Image 3: Data Sources Tab of the Data Explorer

1. Open a directory containing data files, but do not select any individual files.
2. Optionally, specify the type of data the directory contains by using the Data Type menu.
3. Choose the number of files you want to to search for. You can select an absolute number of files that have been updated in a certain time period.
4. When done, load the data in the selected directory by clicking the button.

The local data files will be shown in the Field Selector tab of the Data Explorer.

Image 4: Field Selector Tab of the Data Explorer

The data source name listed in the Field Selector will be based upon whether you loaded files or a directory. If one file is loaded, the name of the file is shown. Multiple files will be listed as "N files" where N is the number of files loaded. A directory will be shown as the directory name plus the file pattern (if used), or ".*" if all files in the directory are loaded. Once you have selected a Field, Display, and Time(s), click the button to display your data in the Main Display window.