To run LabAnalyst, you need three files: the application itself, the 'LAprefs'
file, which stores user preferences, and the 'LACustomTransforms' file. These files must
all be in the same folder, or on the desktop. You can use the 'Preferences' option in the LabAnalyst menu to adjust default settings (such as screen colors, which can be changed with 'colors and lines' in the VIEW menu). Your customized preferences can be saved with the
'save current preferences' button in the 'Preferences' window and will be used automatically the next time the program is launched.
The initial sign-on screen lets you access most of the calculators in the SPECIAL menu, but to do anything more, you need to load a data file.
Warthog format files (with the warthog
icons; see the file formats
page) work best. Warthog files contain a lot of information
about acquisition conditions, dates and times, markers, etc.
You can also load spreadsheets in text format or Sable-format files.
The help window is arranged around the program's seven main menus:
- On these pages the
symbol indicates
use of the command key for keyboard control. For example,
O means "command+O".