With regards to the several layers of PICTs (bitmaps) used to represent a dot plot from CellQUEST, I believe that each PICT represents a different percentage of cells. This would allow CellQUEST to quickly display, for example, 10% of cells, and then switch to 50% of cells, without re-reading the FCS file. With Canvas 3.5, you can combine these layers into a single PICT, saving disk space and redraw time. I think you select all the layers, then select Object Specs and check Convert to Paint Object. Use 1-bit for black-and- white plots, and 8-bit for color plots. Also with Canvas 3.5, you can improve the PICT resolution, from the standard 72dpi to at least 300dpi (the resolution of most contemporary printers). For the PICTs, select Object Specs, then select (for example) 300 from the pop-up menu next to DPI. Answer the "maintain size" dialog by clicking on No. The PICT will be approximately 4-times smaller, so make sure to start with a bigger PICT in CellQUEST. There is no advantage to changing the resolution if you click Yes to maintain size; in fact, you will just be using more disk/RAM space. Personally, I edit each plot separately. Most investigators don't request that many plots for presentation/publication, so I don't feel it is all that time consuming. I too use CellQUEST to draw one plot at a time for this purpose, the same as Roger mentioned. After all, CellQUEST is NOT a graphics manipulation program, it is a flow cytometry analysis program, and lacks certain things I find important, such as rulers and positioning options. CellQUEST is fine for analysis, but I prefer Canvas for graphics. /\/\/\_ Eric Van Buren, vanburen%flovax.dnet@rocdec.roc.wayne.edu \ \ \ Karmanos Cancer Institute and Immunology & Microbiology \_^_/ Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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