Team:Calgary Software/Project/Graphical User Interface

From 2008.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)

Revision as of 02:05, 30 October 2008

Home	The Team	The Project	Modeling	Notebook

Evolutionary Algorithm	Data Retrieval	Modeling	Graphical User Interface

The Graphical User Interface

Programs are only useful if the user is able to understand and use it. Working through a terminal or command prompt may be easy and simple for some, but for the majority of people, this is not something people can easily use. As a result, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) was created to allow anyone to use EvoGEM. Since the intent of EvoGEM was to help anyone dealing with synthetic biology, this GUI is essential.

Initial GUI screen to specify desired products for the system

When first faced with the GUI, the user is asked to enter his or her desired products and their relative quantities. That is, in essence the only input the system needs. Everything else is pre-configured for the system and the user can run the software to produce the circuits that fulfill his or her needs.

More advanced users can re-configure the initial settings

Users that are more familiar with the system or with the principles of Evolutionary Strategies can edit the initial settings according to the specific needs of the problem. This gives much more flexibility in terms of search methods and allows more advanced users to take advantage of their knowledge for this specific problem.

Users can aid the system's search algorithm by giving it some previous knowledge they hold

The interface goes even further in allowing users to harness previous knowledge for any specific bio-circuit they wish to design. Users may specify an "embryo" circuit for the system to start its optimization from. This circuit will be used as the base template for the evolution an could save some time and effort for the system, and also for the user.

The parts are chosen from a graphical list that represents the registry

Each part's characteristics can be viewed on demand

Users can choose the parts they wish to include in the "embryo" circuit from a list that reflects the results obtained from the registry query by Perl. For every part, there is also the option to inspect its characteristics such as: sequence, different base constituency , melting temperature and more.

Navigation

Evolutionary Algorithm	Data Retrieval	Modeling	Graphical User Interface

Home	The Team	The Project	Modeling	Notebook

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 == The Graphical User Interface ==
-How effective would EvoGEM be if its users had to be familiar with programming languages?  This is why we need a user-friendly interface, which will make this program easy-to-use, even for those with no programming experience.
-The graphical user interface allows the user to enter the name of a target compound by entering one of the following:
+<div align=justify>
+Programs are only useful if the user is able to understand and use it. Working through a terminal or command prompt may be easy and simple for some, but for the majority of people, this is not something people can easily use. As a result, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) was created to allow anyone to use EvoGEM. Since the intent of EvoGEM was to help anyone dealing with synthetic biology, this GUI is essential.
-* Common name
-* InChI
-* Amino acid sequence
-<div align=justify>The user can further change various parameters, such as the mutation percentage or number of generations. Users can also choose specific Biobrick parts that the want to include in the circuit. However, sometimes the user may just want to have the program run without specifying anything specific besides the input. All the other features besides the input have default values. So in general, EvoGEM can be set up as general or personalized as the user may want. In this way, the user has more control over how the evolutionary paradigm functions. With this GUI in place, this makes the program easy for use.</div>
+[[Image:GUIPic1.jpg‎|thumb|Initial GUI screen to specify desired products for the system]]
+When first faced with the GUI, the user is asked to enter his or her desired products and their relative quantities. That is, in essence the only input the system needs. Everything else is pre-configured for the system and the user can run the software to produce the circuits that fulfill his or her needs.
+[[Image:GUIPic2.jpg‎|thumb|More advanced users can re-configure the initial settings]]
+[[Image:GUIPic3.jpg‎|thumb|More advanced users can re-configure the initial settings]]
+Users that are more familiar with the system or with the principles of Evolutionary Strategies can edit the initial settings according to the specific needs of the problem. This gives much more flexibility in terms of search methods and allows more advanced users to take advantage of their knowledge for this specific problem.
+[[Image:GUIPic4.jpg‎|thumb|Users can aid the system's search algorithm by giving it some previous knowledge they hold]]
+The interface goes even further in allowing users to harness previous knowledge for any specific bio-circuit they wish to design. Users may specify an "embryo" circuit for the system to start its optimization from. This circuit will be used as the base template for the evolution an could save some time and effort for the system, and also for the user.
+[[Image:GUIPic5.jpg‎|thumb|The parts are chosen from a graphical list that represents the registry]]
+[[Image:GUIPic6.jpg‎|thumb|Each part's characteristics can be viewed on demand]]
+Users can choose the parts they wish to include in the "embryo" circuit from a list that reflects the results obtained from the registry query by Perl. For every part, there is also the option to inspect its characteristics such as: sequence, different base constituency , melting temperature and more.
+</div>
 == Navigation ==