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MorphBank Very Quick Reference-- for the Excel WorkBook

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These are answers to frequently asked questions about the MorphBank Excel workbook. For detailed information please refer to the MorphBank Delivered uploading Manual.
Look at the MainVeryQuickReference for our guide to using the MorphBank system including uploading through the web interface

Send us an example

• Before really getting started send us a small subset of your data filled out in the workbook. We than can review what you have done and give suggestions before you make errors.

mbadmin@scs.fsu.edu

The order is very important!

• when entering data it is very important to enter the data in this order:

1. Image Collection sheet
2. My View sheet
3. Locality sheet
4. Specimen sheet
5. Images sheet
6. External Links sheet
7. Supporting Data sheet

• Why is the order you enter the data so important?
  • Information from the Locality sheet is used to fill out the Specimen sheet; information entered on the Specimen sheet is used when filling out the Images sheet. Supporting Data should reflect all of the additions you have made to the excel workbook that do not already appear on that sheet.
• What happens if I go back and change something in the location table after filling out the rest of the spreadsheet? If you modify a location you have to reselect that location every time it is used in the Specimen sheet, than reselect that Specimen every time it is used in the Images sheet. The Excel workbook does NOT auto-update!

Don't touch

• some of the fields/columns in the workbook are 'auto-generated', or they are filled out from the rest of the information you fill out on the sheet. Dont touch these fields, they are filled out for you. Auto-generated fields include: Specimen Description, Locality Name, and MyViewName.

Common errors

• be sure file names are exact in the workbook, the names are case sensitive.
• double check that you filled out the correct 'release date' on the ImageCollection sheet. This will be the date your images are published.

Drop down menu VS fill in the blank

• In general, if your workbook has given you choices in the form of a drop down menu you must choose one of them and you cannot fill in the blank by typing. Additions may be added to your list of choices on another page in the workbook. For example if you want to add a ViewAngle, Type of External Link or new Continent Ocean you must enter these names on the SupportingData sheet. Once you do they will appear in the appropriate drop down menus.

What file formats are OK?

• be sure that your edited files are saved as jpg, or tiff formats. We will accept as a png, gif, and bmp formats but we convert them to tif before uploading them. Tiffs can be tricky, so its always best to save them as RGB color and be sure your images are flattened. We for sure cannot accept .psd or .doc files. If you have a question regarding your file types please email us at mbadmin@scs.fsu.edu.

Philips SEM warning

• Image Display Problem: Philips SEM machines utilize non-square shaped pixels so when the images are outside of Philips software they are distorted slightly.
• To Fix: The images need to be resized from 1424X968 to 1424X1064 for high resolution images and 712X484 to 712X532 for standard resolution. Philips has a small conversion program called XL-Stretch or images can be resized manually with image manipulation software such as Photoshop.

Adding External Links

• How do I add an external link to my database so that it appears in MorphBank?
  • Use the ExternalLink page on the workbook; this page should be filled out last after all of the rest of the workbook is complete.

-- KatjaSeltmann - 07 Nov 2006

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