Release history

R.E. Voorrips

MapChart 2.2: April 2006

• Reads MapQTL 5.0 output files
• Graph files can contain data for multiple linkage groups (less clutter of data files)
• New formatting "Omit" for markers: allows to create skeleton maps showing a few markers with name and only ticks at the positions of all "omitted" markers
• Exports charts as bitmaps as well as metafiles
• Data font can be set and is retained between sessions
• Removed limitation to size of data
• Improved printing control (color / grayscale, resolution)
• Autofit improved

MapChart 2.11: June 2003

This version corrects a few minor errors in version 2.1 and is otherwise unchanged.

MapChart 2.1: June 2002

• Homologous loci can be highlighted and/or connected with lines
• "Combine Maps" tool: puts the corresponding linkage groups from several files side by side, especially useful for showing homologies between maps
• Linkage groups that are parts of the same chromosome can be automatically aligned under each other
• Chart title on the first page or on all pages
• Footer with page number, file name and/or date
• Extra option to indicate locus positions: ruler at left side of page, as alternative to locus positions, intervals or ticks along the linkage group bars
• Up to three text columns next to the locus names can be used, instead of only one
• Texts can be shown with or without specific formatting of locus name
• Constant graph lines (e.g. LOD thresholds) can now be specified directly, instead of being read from a file
• Graphs can be shown with bold lines
• More QTL interval options: line style, bold lines, with or without cross-dash at ends
• Normal and bold line width can be specified
• Indicators connecting highlighted locus names with their positions on the linkage group bar can be highlighted bold and/or in color
• Vertical shift distance can now be expressed either in mm or in map units
• Map files containing ";" (the comment character) as part of the locus or linkage group names are now read like in JoinMap and MapQTL
• Dashed and dotted lines were drawn incorrectly on some printers; corrected
• Occasionally loci appearing on the left side of the bar were not shown; corrected
• Several minor bug fixes

MapChart 2.0: 20 February 2001

• Change to the copyright:
  The copyright of MapChart now belongs to Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands
  
• Changes to interface:
  • Multiple document interface: multiple maps can be open simultaneously. Useful for comparisons and for updating information from one map to another (see below)
  • Both the map data and the chart options are now stored in one file (*.mct) instead of in separate *.map and *.set files. Useful because *.map files with different formats are also used for other purposes (e.g. for MapQTL input).
  • MapChart files (*.mct) are registered: double-clicking on a *.mct file in the Explorer will cause MapChart to open the file
  • On opening a file, the chart is displayed instead of the data
  • On zooming in or out, the image now remains centered on the same spot.
  • Changed layout of some forms to improve legibility with different Windows screen font sizes
  • Right-click (pop-up) menu’s
  • MapChart will start maximized if it was closed in a maximized state in the previous session
  • The font of the Data sheet can be specified
  • When errors in the data are found, the cursor is placed on the erroneous line
  • When errors in the Chart options dialog are found, the error is highlighted
  • The manual is now a HTML file with contents, index and links
    
• New functionality:
  • All kinds of formatting information (formatting of linkage groups and loci; QTLs, graphs, bar segments, chart options, page setup) can be copied from one map to another. Useful for transferring this information to a new version of the map.
  • "Autofit" added: if the charts don’t fit on the page size with the current chart options, MapChart now attempts to fit the charts by changing several combinations of chart options.
  • Unlimited numbers of color codes can now be used (a consequence is that the color coding is slightly modified, but map files of version 1.x are automatically converted)
  • With a transparent background, now a background color is shown on screen, so that white lines, texts and symbols are visible.
  • Bars of linkage groups can now be aligned vertically (to show two parts belonging to the same chromosome)
  • Positions along the linkage group bars can now be indicated in four ways: no positions, absolute positions of loci, intervals between loci, or ticks at fixed intervals
  • The font size of individual loci can now be specified
  • The Y-axis of graphs can now be formatted: low and high limits, tick interval, number of decimals; if not specified they are automatically determined as before
  • Improved drawing of dashed and dotted lines in Graphs
  • The size of symbols in graphs can now be specified
  • Linkage group bars can now be shown with either flat or rounded tips.
  • Bugs in Mirror and Reverse options of linkage groups fixed
  • Several other minor bugs solved.

MapChart 1.44: 12 January 2001

• Problems with some printer drivers solved.

MapChart 1.43: 30 March 2000

• Multiple instances of MapChart can now run simultaneously (useful to compare different maps)
• Bug in Y-axis numbers in graphs corrected

MapChart 1.42: 29 February 2000

• Bug in rounding positions corrected
• Positions (cM) of points in graph now by default rounded like locus positions; rounding can be disabled (Settings-Graphs)
• Find and Replace now start at current position instead of at start of text

MapChart 1.41: 14 February 2000

• Chart files are not automatically saved any more, but only if requested ("Save chart pages" button in chart window toolbar), to prevent accumulation of unneeded files
• New print dialog allows to select printer and to set number of copies
• Map data and manual can now be printed from MapChart

MapChart 1.40: 12 January 2000

• Mirror option in chromosome header added: switch locus names and QTL bars from left to right or v.v. for individual chromosomes
• Locus texts added: optional extra texts for each locus displayed in a separate column
• MapChart now reads numbers with decimal points or decimal comma's, irrespective of Windows regional settings
• Open file dialog now remembers last working folder from previous MapChart run
• Command-line option D= to specify where Open file and Save file dialogs start if the previous working folder is no longer accessible
• Default settings now saved in user-specified file.
• Various other small improvements and bug fixes

MapChart 1.30: 15 December 1999

• Graphs (LOD graphs of QTLs or otherwise), graph legend and Line styles and Symbol styles Help forms added
• Auto QTLs (QTL bars calculated from graphs) added
• New separate font dialog simplifies many Settings dialog pages
• Bug in detection of arrow keys solved

MapChart 1.22: 22 November 1999

• Bug in Colors page of Settings Dialog corrected

MapChart 1.21: 10 November 1999

• Edit commands added: Find and Replace
• Keyboard actions added as alternative for mouse actions, a.o. Esc for closing windows, (Ctrl-) Arrows, (Ctrl-) PgUp/PgDn, (Ctrl-) Home/End for moving around and between chart pages, +/- for zooming in/out.
• Copy chart page to Clipboard (with button or Ctrl-C) added

MapChart 1.2: 24 October 1999

• Locus positions can be shown as absolute positions or intervals, or can be suppressed (previously only absolute positions were shown)
• Placing of loci along chromosome bar improved
• Extended formatting of chromosomes: shifting up, down, left or right, reverse chromosome, force page break
• Changed format of chromosome header to accommodate new options
• Segments of chromosome bars can be filled and colored

MapChart 1.1: 27 September 1999

• QTL bars added
• Minor improvements in drawing
• Fill styles for chromosome and QTL bars, and Fill styles Help form added

MapChart 1.0: 24 August 1999

• Printer support
• Drawing at printer resolution
• Zooming in and out
• Locus names either left or right of bar (was: only on the right)
• Settings dialog redesigned
• Toolbars on data and chart windows
• Editing commands added: Comment and Uncomment lines
• Manual available as online help

MapChart 0.1: 7 April 1999

First released version

• Charts with chromosome titles and loci
• Charts drawn at screen resolution