Projects overview#
GraphX distinguishes between the image you are working from, the editable project that records your work, and the files you export for other people or software. Keeping those roles separate makes it easier to return to work later without confusing a report or spreadsheet with the original working file.
Source image and workspace#
A source image is the graph, chart, scan, or photograph you open in GraphX. It is the visual reference from which you calibrate axes and place points.
The workspace is the current in-browser editing session. It includes temporary interface state such as the current view, open panels, selected points, interaction mode, undo/redo history, cursor crosshair and any unaccepted trace preview. These are useful while working, but they are not the durable result of the project.
Some display choices that affect how the source is interpreted, including image inversion and the Perspective grid display, are saved with the project. Zoom and pan are not restored as part of the project file.
Saved GraphX projects#
A .graphx project is GraphX's editable working file. Saving a project packages the original source image with the substantive work you have done on it, so it can be opened later in GraphX without needing a separate copy of the image.
In normal use, a project preserves the project name, notes, source image, calibration and axis details, datasets and their points, dataset order and colours, numerical precision and Export choices. It also retains relevant Axis lock settings and progress, trendline configurations and their order, and the active dataset. Point graph coordinates are reconstructed from their authoritative source-image positions when the project is opened, so a saved project remains tied to its calibration rather than storing a second competing version of each coordinate.
The project format is for continuing GraphX work. It is not a general-purpose data exchange format and should not be treated as a substitute for a CSV file or a report.
Exported results#
Exports create a separate output from the current project. They do not replace the editable .graphx file or alter its data.
- CSV is for numerical data in spreadsheets, calculation tools, or other software.
- Copy data places the active dataset in tab-separated form on the clipboard for a quick paste.
- PDF is a human-readable digitisation report combining the graph, data, calibration context, and selected analysis.
- JPEG is an annotated visual copy of the source graph with exported dataset points overlaid.
Use Saving and opening projects to keep an editable copy of your work, add context with Project notes, and see Export overview for choosing an output format.