After you've selected one or more data acquisition files for importing, CONS will display a dialog where you can do three tasks:
Specify the pressure used at each of the imported loading increments.
Many data acquisition file formats do not include the applied pressure as a part of the test data stored in the file.
Re-order the imported loading increments.
If you import multiple files simultaneously the order in which they're import is random, so you may need to shuffle the imported loading increments to reflect your testing order.
Cancel the import of one or more loading increments.
If you accidentally chose the wrong data acquisition file to be imported, you can remove it from the "to be imported" list here.
Data Acquisition Import Loading Pressure and File Ordering Dialog
The figure above shows a screen capture of the dialog after a file (2K 040-1-con-3-4) was selected for appending to an existing set of loading increments (the 8000, 16000, 32000 and the obscured 16000 column entries). The underlines represent imported loading increments for which a loading pressure must be specified (because the imported file lacked information on the pressures applied during the increments).
To specify the pressures used on each loading increment:
- Begin by clicking on the topmost underline: The program will allow you to enter a loading pressure for that increment.
- Pressing Enter after you've typed the pressure will take you down to the next loading increment, where you can enter the next increment's pressure.
- Continue this until you've entered all of the missing loading pressures.
- After you've entered a particular sequence of loading pressures you can save it and apply it to future imports. To do this, click on the button at the right of the Loading list selection box. The next time you import data from a test that used the same loading pressure sequence you can pick the sequence in the Loading list box and the program will fill in the current import's missing loading pressures.
If you've selected more than one file to import, the order in which the program lists loading increments imported from the files will be random. Since the order in which these increments are listed reflects the order that they'll be shown in the tests's compression curve, you need to make sure this order is correct before clicking on the dialog's OK button.
To reorder the sequence of loading increments being imported:
- Click on a row listing one of the loading increments to be moved. The program will highlight the row and show two or three icons on the right side of the row (a downward and/or upwards pointing arrow and a red "delete" icon).
- Click on the
or 
icons to shift the increment into its proper position. - Repeat the procedure for the rest of the imported increments.
- When you're appending a series of imported files to the end of a CONS file that already has data the program will not let you move an imported loading increment above the an increment that was already in the CONS file.
Sometimes you'll discover that you've chosen the wrong file for importing. If this is the case you'll need to remove the file's loading increments from the import list.
To remove one or more loading increments from the import list:
- Click on a loading increment to be removed.
- Click on the
icon at the right edge of the row. - Repeat the process for any other increments to be removed.