Analysis Flexibility, Plots, Reports and Custom Analyses
Automatic Time Units Conversion and Color-Coding for Data Entry
With the release of Version 8, all Synthesis applications now allow you to define conversion factors for entering time values in different units. To give just one simple example, you can now enter test data into a standard folio as hours but then use the QCP to calculate the reliability for a year of operation — the software performs the conversion automatically based on the multipliers specified for the Synthesis repository.
We have also introduced new color-coding aids to assist with data entry and management. There is now an immediate color change if you enter data in an incorrect format. You also have the option to color-code data points based on their data type (e.g., failure time vs. suspension) or subset ID.
Linked or Attached Files
You can use the Links and Attachments feature to keep related information from external data files together with the rest of the analysis.
Plots and Charts to Visualize Your Analysis Results
The software makes it easy to create a complete array of plots and charts to present analysis information graphically. The Plot Setup allows you to completely customize the "look and feel" of plot graphics while the RS Draw metafile graphics editor provides the option to insert text, draw objects or mark particular points on plot graphics. You can save your plots in a variety of graphic file formats (*.jpg, *.gif, *.png or *.wmf) for use in other documents.
Overlay Plots (formerly called "MultiPlots") allow you to plot the results from multiple data sets together in the same plot. This can be an effective visual tool for many different applications, such as comparing different data sets or analysis methods (e.g., Design A vs. Design B or MLE vs. Rank Regression) or demonstrating the effects of a design change (e.g., Before vs. After).
The Side-by-Side Plots utility allows you to view (and print) multiple plots for a given data set side-by-side. For example, you may want to show the probability, reliability, pdf and failure rate plots for a given analysis together in the same window. Alternatively, you may wish to compare the probability or pdf plots for a given data set when analyzed with different distributions/models.
Workbooks and Reports for Custom Analysis
All Synthesis-enabled applications offer several powerful tools for custom analysis and reporting.
- If you need a quick way to perform additional calculations that are associated with a particular analysis, you can insert any number of General Spreadsheets into any standard folio.
- If you want to create a custom analysis or report that integrates results from different analysis folios, Version 8 provides a choice of using an Analysis Workbook (with functionality similar to Microsoft Excel) or a new Word Report Template (with functionality similar to Microsoft Word).
All three tools allow you to use the Function Wizard to automatically insert calculated results based on selected data sheets. With the workbooks and report templates, you also have the option to configure the functions to use generically numbered "data sources" instead of named data sheets. This makes it easy to use the same template again for different data sets.
