BugsMCR Beta


General Info.

Latest version: BugsMCR Beta 1.52a1

Uploaded: 2005-03-15

 Screenshots: Main Interface Results Output Graphs
 
Please note that there was a critical error in version 1.52a - please replace with 1.52a1

System requirements: Microsoft Windows PC capable of running MS Office 2000, with MS Excel installed.

Referencing the BugsMCR software: Buckland P.I. (2003) BugsMCR Climate Reconstruction Software [version] [Downloaded: DATE].

Download (all files are zip compressed)

 
Runtime Setup (users without Access)
Setup for Access users
mdb file
File:
Zip Size:
41Mb
6Mb
4.1Mb
Install Size:
ca. 100Mb (system dependent)
ca. 19Mb
ca. 14Mb

Downloads include demo files with the datasets for Glanllyn and St.Bees sites. References for these can be found at the bottom of this page.

Installation Instructions:

Uninstall any previous version before installing.

Setup Versions: Unzip/extract the files (see below note for XP users)
Run "Setup.exe" (or "Setup" on some systems)
Follow the instructions.
MDB file (advanced users): Unzip/extract the files (see below note for XP users)
Run the BugsMCR_beta 1_52.mdb file.

A couple of notes for Windows XP users:

  1. When you open the zip file it will appear as if in a folder (in fact a compressed folder - in XP speak). Do not attempt to run anything from this folder - copy the contents somewhere else first (i.e. extract the files).
  2. On some systems, the Setup program restarts the computer without warning after installing support files - please make sure you have nothing open or running when installing BugsMCR
 Basic operating instructions (in addition to the help links within BugsMCR)

1)

Click either:

 


 

 

 

 
The Create Species List Window will open.
1) Choose a Genus with the drop down list, and press the <Enter> key
(The "Show only MCR Species" option does just that)
3) Double click on a species to add it to your list (shown to the right)
4) When all species are entered, click [Create/update XLS file] to save the species list as an Excel file

Finally Close the Window [Close or Abort List Creation]

You will then be given the option of reading the new file directly into BugsMCR, or adding sample data using Excel.

Previously created lists can be modified with , but it is currently not possible to edit lists with samples within BugsMCR.
  ...or...  
 


NOTE: If the file to be imported is not a 'New Bugs Standard' file, then the first column MUST be the Genus & Species names (for the moment). All files in Bugs are in an older format, and will be converted.
More help on file formats can be found within the program.


If the file a New Bugs Standard formated file then it will be imported directly.
Otherwise, after a few messages, BugsMCR will attempt to convert the file:
- The first column of the file will be searched for "Genus+species" names
- BugsMCR will show a proposed new countsheet in the lower half of the window with the Bugs CODE's, full species names, and name components (Genus; species; authority).
- Species that could not be found will be left empty
- Species that BugMCR is unsure about will be marked with a '*'

You should then click on each missing/marked species in turn and either:

Click to change species or add one of the missing species names to the new countsheet.
Or to search the Bugs synonym list, and then find the species in the "Add to list" popup.
Or simply delete the '*'

When making any changes, or species replacements with these buttons you will be given the option of having BugsMCR remember the replacement details so that you will not have to do it manually next time.

Finally save the file with

and then click [Close]

Your imported file will be waiting for you in the main BugsMCR window.
 

2) Remove non-MCR species from the list
Click [Convert Species List to MCR List]

You do not need to do this - but it can be instructive for students to see how much porer the dataset is.
 
3) Select calculation and output options:

 
 "Closest to 100%" will calculate MCR for assemblages that do not have 100% overlap, it will tell you the maximum overlap in the results.
"Graph" produces a TMax & TMin graph in the results
"Overlap matrices" & "Species lists" activate the creation of an additional results file which shows the climate space maps and species list per sample.

The "Acceptable Overlap" box allows researchers to specify the minimum allowable overlap for MCR calculations. This may not function on all systems and is currently not recommended.
4) Calculate the MCR values with either:

Both options will ask you to provide a filename for the results.
(If the "Overlap matrices" option is selected an additional results file with the suffix _matrices.xls will be created)

The "...Full Species List" option ignores samples and performs an MCR on the entire species list. No graph will be produced. (This option has been included for student practicals)

A Penguin will tell you how far the calculations have progressed, and a popup will inform you when calculations are complete.
 

5) Open the results in Excel Using the buttons provided, or from Excel at a later date.

The Results Files (Beta version)

More info can be found by clicking the "Reading the Results File in Excel?" link on the main screen (click here for a 124kb screenshot)... but here's a summary:

Known bugs:

Area Test System BugsMCR Version Problem
Installation Windows 2000 Pro
Office 2000 Dev		 Setup for Access users Setup sticks in a loop, installing support files repeatedly between reboots. Contact programmer for advice.
First run Windows 98SE
 Runtime Setup Runtime Error - not yet traced.
First run All
Office 2000 Pro or later		 mdb file DLL/library not found - program crashes.
One or more library files not present on system:
comctl32.ocx; comdlg32.ocx; mscomctl.ocx
Solution:
Install Setup version, or install library files (advanced users).
Results output All All Output of Species lists without overlap matrix fails.
Workaround:
Option combination blocked - to be fixed in next release.
Usage All All Under some import/list creation scenarios, the 'Show Current Countsheet' function shows the previously used countsheet.
To be fixed...
Graphs All All Samples (X) axis can be crowded if>ca.50 samples.
May fix at a later stage, but not seen as a major problem - user can adjust graphs.
Calculations
&
When replacing species names on file import.		 Non-English Windows All pre 1.52a
-
All

"Error 3075: Syntax error..." or other error in Runtime version.
Occurs if the system uses anything other than a point "." as decimal separator.
Workaround:
Change the decimal symbol/separator to a point ".":
Can be found under the equivalent of "Regional Settings" or "National settings" or "International settings" in the Control Panel. Look for the settings for numbers - click [Customise...] in XP.
A solution is being worked on, but please note that Microsoft's own solution is to "Use only English number formats..."!
Solved for calculations in build 1.52a
Still a problem when importing files (when manually locating a species name/synonym to replace a species in the imported XLS file).
Will be fixed in next release.
Calculations All All

User specified minimum overlap tolerance unpredictable - sometimes uses 'Closest to 100%' option, sometimes crashes.
Please use the "Closest to 100%" option for greater reliability.


Improvements per version

Beta 1.52a1

Beta 1.52a

Beta 1.52


Bugs corrected from previous versions (log):

References

The BugsMCR software:
Buckland P.I. (2003) BugsMCR Climate Reconstruction Software [version] [Downloaded: DATE].
Glanllyn site data:
COOPE, G. R. & BROPHY, J. A. (1972) Late Glacial environmental changes indicated by a coleopteran succession from North Wales. Boreas, 1, 97-142.
St.Bees site data:
COOPE, G. R. & JOACHIM, M. J. (1980) Lateglacial environmental changes interpreted from fossil Coleoptera from St. Bees, Cumbria, N.W. England. In J. J. Lowe, J. M. Gray & J. E. Robinson (eds.) Studies in the Lateglacial of North-West Europe, 55-68. Pergamon, Oxford
MCR method:
ATKINSON, T. C., BRIFFA, K. R., COOPE, G. R., JOACHIM, J. M. & PERRY, D. W. (1986) Climatic calibration of coleopteran data. In B. E. Berglund (ed.) Handbook of Holocene Palaeoecology and Palaeohydrology, 851-858. J. Wiley & Son, Chichester.

Webisite developed and maintained by
Phil Buckland
...and this is his Penguin.		 Page last modified June 29, 2005