Data Digitization Made Easy with Windig 2.5: A Free and Powerful Data Digitizer for Windows 3.x and 9x
What is windig and why do you need it?
If you have ever encountered a situation where you need to extract numerical data from a scanned graph or image, you know how tedious and time-consuming it can be. You can try to manually measure the coordinates of each point, but that would be prone to errors and inaccuracies. You can also try to use some online tools or apps, but they may not support the format or quality of your image, or they may charge you a fee for their service.
windig 2.5 download 64 bits
That's where windig comes in handy. Windig is a free data digitizer for Windows 3.x and 9x that allows you to get back curves and points from scanned images. It is very useful for scientists, engineers, students, teachers, or anyone who needs to analyze or plot data from graphs or images.
Windig has many features that make it a powerful and versatile tool for data digitization. Some of these features are:
It can get bitmaps from a file or from the clipboard
It supports TWAIN protocol interface, which means you can get bitmaps directly from TWAIN scanners
It can load up to 15 different graphic formats, thanks to a great DLL by Joe C. Oliphant
It has basic bitmap editing functions for small corrections
It can handle any axis system, even tilted, rotated, or non-orthogonal
It has manual or fast automatic curve digitization mode
It can configure data format (normal or exponential)
It can save digitized data on file or into the clipboard
It has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy
It supports drag and drop
It has a full description in a Windows help file
It can save and print the current bitmap
It can print data
It has a "grid remove" command, to hide background grids
It has bitmap rotating and stretching functions
It has undo last digitize function
It has data numbering option
It has data integration function, which lets you sum up any linear function of the RGB values
It can save bitmaps in ASCII format
How to download and install windig 2.5 on Windows 3.x and 9x
The latest version of windig is V2.5, which was released in 1997. It is still a 16 bits application, which means it is not compatible with 64 bits Windows OS. However, you can still use windig under 64 bits OS by installing a virtual machine manager or using wine, which we will discuss later.
To download and install windig 2.5 on Windows 3.x and 9x, follow these steps:
Create a new directory on your computer, for example C:\windig.
Download WinDig from the official website. The file size is about 1.2 MB.
Unzip the downloaded file and copy all the files to the directory you created in step 1.
Run the setup.exe file and follow the instructions on the screen. You may need to restart your computer after the installation.
Launch windig from the Start menu or from the desktop shortcut. You should see a window like this:
How to use windig 2.5 to digitize data from scanned images
Once you have installed windig 2.5 on your computer, you can start using it to digitize data from scanned images. Here are the basic steps you need to follow:
Load a bitmap from a file, from the clipboard, or from a TWAIN scanner. You can use the File menu or the toolbar buttons to do this. You can also drag and drop a bitmap file onto the windig window.
Edit the bitmap if necessary. You can use the Edit menu or the toolbar buttons to crop, rotate, stretch, or remove grids from the bitmap. You can also undo any changes you made.
Configure the axis system. You need to tell windig how to interpret the coordinates of the points on the bitmap. You can do this by clicking on the Axis menu or the toolbar button, and then selecting one of the options: orthogonal, tilted, rotated, or non-orthogonal. You will then need to click on four points on the bitmap that correspond to known values on the x and y axes. You can also enter these values manually in the dialog box that appears.
Select a curve to digitize. You can choose one of the 15 available curves by clicking on the Curve menu or the toolbar button. Each curve has a different color and symbol for easy identification.
Digitize points on the curve. You can do this manually by clicking on each point with your mouse, or automatically by clicking on the Auto menu or the toolbar button. In automatic mode, windig will try to find and digitize all the points on the selected curve, starting from where you clicked. You can adjust some parameters for automatic mode in the Options menu.
Save or print digitized data. You can save digitized data on a file or into the clipboard by clicking on the Data menu or the toolbar button. You can also print data by clicking on the Print menu or the toolbar button. You can configure data format (normal or exponential) and data numbering option in the Options menu.
How to configure data format and axis system
Windig allows you to configure data format and axis system for better accuracy and convenience. Here are some tips on how to do this:
To configure data format, go to Options > Data Format and select either Normal or Exponential. Normal format will display data as decimal numbers, while Exponential format will display data as scientific notation with powers of 10.
To configure axis system, go to Axis > Axis Type and select one of the four options: Orthogonal, Tilted, Rotated, or Non-Orthogonal. Orthogonal axis system means that both x and y axes are horizontal and vertical, respectively. Tilted axis system means that both x and y axes are tilted at an angle, but still parallel to each other. Rotated axis system means that both x and y axes are rotated at an angle, but still perpendicular to each other. Non-Orthogonal axis system means that both x and y axes are neither parallel nor perpendicular to each other.
To set up axis system, you need to click on four points on the bitmap that correspond to known values on the x and y axes. For example, if you have a graph with x-axis ranging from 0 to 10 and y-axis ranging from 0 to 100, you need to click on four points that represent (0,0), (10,0), (0,100), and (10,100). You can also enter these values manually in the dialog box that appears after selecting an axis type.
How to save and print digitized data
Windig allows you to save and print digitized data for further analysis or presentation. Here are some tips on how to do this:
To save digitized data on a file, go to Data > Save Data As... and choose a file name and location. Windig will save data as a text file with tab-separated values.
To save digitized data into the clipboard, go to Data > Copy Data To Clipboard. Windig will copy data as a text string with tab-separated values. You can then paste the data into any application that supports text format, such as Excel, Word, or Notepad.
To print digitized data, go to Print > Print Data and choose a printer and settings. Windig will print data as a table with columns for curve number, x value, and y value.
To configure data numbering option, go to Options > Data Numbering and select either On or Off. Data numbering option determines whether windig will add a column for point number in the data file or clipboard.
To configure data integration function, go to Options > Data Integration and select either On or Off. Data integration function allows you to sum up any linear function of the RGB values of the bitmap pixels along the digitized curve. For example, you can use this function to measure the area under the curve or the average intensity of the curve.
How to run windig 2.5 on 64 bits Windows OS
As mentioned earlier, windig 2.5 is a 16 bits application that is not compatible with 64 bits Windows OS. However, you can still use windig under 64 bits OS by installing a virtual machine manager or using wine. Here are some tips on how to do this:
A virtual machine manager is a software that allows you to run another operating system inside your current one. For example, you can use VMware Workstation or VirtualBox to create a virtual machine that runs Windows 3.x or 9x on your 64 bits Windows OS. You can then install and run windig 2.5 on the virtual machine as if it were a real computer.
Wine is a software that allows you to run Windows applications on Linux, Mac OS X, or other Unix-like systems. It is not an emulator, but rather a compatibility layer that translates Windows API calls into native ones. You can use wine to run windig 2.5 on your 64 bits Windows OS by following these steps:
Download Wine from the official website or from SourceForge. The file size is about 20 MB.
Run the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen. You may need to agree to the license terms and select a destination folder.
Launch wine from the Start menu or from the desktop shortcut. You should see a window like this:
Run windig 2.5 by clicking on the Run command in the wine window, and then browsing to the windig directory and selecting the windig.exe file. You should see a window like this:
Use windig 2.5 as you would normally do on Windows 3.x or 9x. You can access all the features and functions of windig 2.5 under wine.
Pros and cons of windig 2.5
Windig 2.5 is a great tool for data digitization, but it is not perfect. It has some pros and cons that you should be aware of before using it. Here are some of them:
Pros
It is free and easy to use. You don't need to pay anything or register to use windig 2.5. You can download it from the official website and install it in minutes. You can also find a detailed help file and a tutorial on how to use it.
It supports multiple graphic formats and sources. You can load bitmaps from a file, from the clipboard, or from a TWAIN scanner. You can also drag and drop bitmap files onto the windig window. Windig can handle up to 15 different graphic formats, thanks to a DLL by Joe C. Oliphant.
It has basic bitmap editing functions for small corrections. You can crop, rotate, stretch, or remove grids from the bitmap. You can also undo any changes you made.
It can handle any axis system, even tilted, rotated, or non-orthogonal. You can configure the axis system by clicking on four points on the bitmap that correspond to known values on the x and y axes. You can also enter these values manually in the dialog box.
It has manual or fast automatic curve digitization mode. You can digitize points on the curve manually by clicking on each point with your mouse, or automatically by clicking on the Auto menu or the toolbar button. In automatic mode, windig will try to find and digitize all the points on the selected curve, starting from where you clicked.
It can configure data format (normal or exponential) and data numbering option. You can choose how to display data as decimal numbers or scientific notation with powers of 10. You can also choose whether to add a column for point number in the data file or clipboard.
It can save digitized data on file or into the clipboard. You can save data as a text file with tab-separated values, or copy data as a text string with tab-separated values. You can then paste the data into any application that supports text format, such as Excel, Word, or Notepad.
It has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy. You can use the zoom window to magnify a portion of the bitmap for better visibility and precision.
It supports drag and drop. You can drag and drop a bitmap file onto the windig window to load it.
It has a full description in a Windows help file. You can access the help file by clicking on the Help menu or the toolbar button. The help file contains a complete description of all the features and functions of windig 2.5, as well as a tutorial on how to use it.
It can save and print the current bitmap. You can save the bitmap as a BMP file or print it as an image.
It can print data. You can print data as a table with columns for curve number, x value, and y value.
It has a "grid remove" command, to hide background grids. You can use this command to make the curves more visible and easier to digitize.
It has bitmap rotating and stretching functions. You can use these functions to adjust the orientation and size of the bitmap.
It has undo last digitize function. You can use this function to undo the last point you digitized.
It has data integration function, which lets you sum up any linear function of the RGB values of the bitmap pixels along the digitized curve. For example, you can use this function to measure the area under the curve or the average intensity of the curve.
It can save bitmaps in ASCII format. You can use this function to save bitmaps as text files with ASCII characters representing pixel colors.
Cons
It is not compatible with 64 bits Windows OS. Windig 2.5 is a 16 bits application that cannot run on 64 bits Windows OS natively. You need to install a virtual machine manager or use wine to run windig 2.5 under 64 bits OS.
It is not updated since 1997. Windig 2.5 is an old software that has not been updated for more than two decades. It may have some bugs or limitations that are not fixed or improved.
It does not support color images or grayscale images with more than 256 colors. Windig 2.5 only works with black-and-white images or grayscale images with up to 256 colors. If you have a color image or a grayscale image with more than 256 colors, you need to convert it to a suitable format before loading it into windig 2.5.
It does not have advanced curve fitting or smoothing functions. Windig 2.5 only digitizes points on the curve, but does not fit or smooth the curve with any mathematical model or algorithm. If you need to fit or smooth the curve, you need to use another software or application.
It does not have batch processing or scripting functions. Windig 2.5 only works with one bitmap at a time, and does not support batch processing or scripting functions. If you need to digitize multiple bitmaps or automate some tasks, you need to use another software or application.
Alternatives to windig 2.5
Windig 2.5 is not the only data digitizer available in the market. There are many other alternatives that you can try, depending on your needs and preferences. Here is a table comparing windig 2.5 with some of the most popular data digitizers:
Data Digitizer
Price
Compatibility
Features
Windig 2.5
Free
Windows 3.x and 9x (16 bits)
- Supports multiple graphic formats and sources- Has basic bitmap editing functions- Can handle any axis system- Has manual or fast automatic curve digitization mode- Can configure data format and data numbering option- Can save and print digitized data- Has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy- Supports drag and drop- Has a full description in a Windows help file- Has a "grid remove" command- Has bitmap rotating and stretching functions- Has undo last digitize function- Has data integration function- Can save bitmaps in ASCII format
Engauge Digitizer
Free
Windows, Linux, Mac OS X (32 or 64 bits)
- Supports multiple graphic formats and sources- Has advanced bitmap editing functions- Can handle any axis system- Has manual or semi-automatic curve digitization mode- Can configure data format and data numbering option- Can export digitized data to various formats- Has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy- Supports drag and drop- Has a full description in a PDF manual- Has a "grid removal" command- Has bitmap rotating and cropping functions- Has undo and redo functions- Has curve fitting and smoothing functions- Has batch processing and scripting functions
Plot Digitizer
Free
Windows, Linux, Mac OS X (32 or 64 bits)
- Supports multiple graphic formats and sources- Has basic bitmap editing functions- Can handle orthogonal or tilted axis system- Has manual curve digitization mode- Can configure data format and data numbering option- Can export digitized data to various formats- Has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy- Supports drag and drop- Has a full description in a HTML manual- Has a "grid removal" command- Has bitmap rotating and cropping functions- Has undo function
GetData Graph Digitizer
$30 (free trial available)
Windows (32 or 64 bits)
- Supports multiple graphic formats and sources- Has advanced bitmap editing functions- Can handle any axis system- Has manual or automatic curve digitization mode- Can configure data format and data numbering option- Can export digitized data to various formats- Has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy- Supports drag and drop- Has a full description in a PDF manual- Has a "grid removal" command- Has bitmap rotating and cropping functions- Has undo and redo functions- Has curve fitting and smoothing functions
WebPlotDigitizer
Free
Web-based (any browser)
- Supports multiple graphic formats and sources- Has basic bitmap editing functions- Can handle any axis system- Has manual or automatic curve digitization mode- Can configure data format and data numbering option- Can export digitized data to various formats- Has zoom window for higher pointing accuracy- Supports drag and drop- Has a full description in a HTML manual- Has a "grid removal" command- Has bitmap rotating and cropping functions
Conclusion
Windig 2.5 is a free data digitizer for Windows 3.x and 9x that allows you to get back curves and points from scanned images. It is very useful for scientists, engineers, students, teachers, or anyone who needs to analyze or plot data from graphs or images. Windig 2.5 has many features that make it a powerful and versatile tool for data digitization, such as supporting multiple graphic formats and sources, having basic bitmap editing functions, handling any axis system, having manual or fast automatic curve digitization mode, configuring data format and data numbering option, saving and printing digitized data, having zoom window for higher pointing accuracy, supporting drag and drop, having a full description in a Windows help file, having a "grid remove" command, having bitmap rotating and stretching functions, having undo last digitize function, having data integration function, and saving bitmaps in ASCII format. However, windig 2.5 also has some cons that you should be aware of before using it, such as not being compatible with 64 bits Windows OS, not being updated since 1997, not supporting color images or grayscale images with more than 256 colors, not having advanced curve fitting or smoothing functions, and not having b