Loading Data And Sessions#

The desktop app keeps one active survey session at a time. Loading data creates the in-memory pycsamt.site.Sites collection that feeds the station table, survey overview, profile viewer, map viewer, QC dashboard, correction tools, forward modelling, inversion setup, and agent workflows.

Open Survey Data#

Use Open / Load EDI… from the toolbar or File > Open / Load EDI… from the menu. The dialog is named Open Survey Data because it is the front door for compatible survey files, not only a single EDI file picker.

Selecting EDI files in the desktop loader

Selecting multiple EDI files from one survey-line folder before loading.#

The loader offers four format filters:

Format

File pattern

Typical use

EDI

*.edi

Standard MT, AMT, and CSAMT station transfer-function files.

AVG

*.avg

Zonge AVG inputs that may be converted through desktop tools.

J / ModEM

*.j

J-format or ModEM-style transfer-function sources.

All supported

*.edi, *.avg, *.j

Mixed folders when you want the dialog to collect all compatible files.

Choose Files Or Folders#

There are three normal ways to populate the file list:

  • Browse Files… opens a multi-select file dialog for the active format.

  • Browse Folder… scans the selected folder recursively and adds matching files.

  • Drag files or folders onto the drop zone; folders are recursively searched with the same active format filter.

The dialog keeps the selection visible before any data are loaded. Use Remove Selected to drop individual paths or Clear All to restart the selection. Load Data stays disabled until at least one compatible file is selected.

For line-based surveys, load one line folder at a time when you want the desktop views to stay focused on a single profile. In the WILLY example data, that usually means opening one of these folders:

data/AMT/WILLY_DATA/L18PLT
data/AMT/WILLY_DATA/L22PLT
data/AMT/WILLY_DATA/L26PLT
data/AMT/WILLY_DATA/L30PLT
data/AMT/WILLY_DATA/L34PLT

For a quick inspection pass, loading a parent folder is acceptable; the dialog will recurse and collect matching files. For interpretation, correction, and inversion preparation, a single survey line is usually easier to review and less noisy in the station table.

What Happens During Loading#

When you confirm the dialog, the desktop starts a background loader so the window remains responsive. The status bar and progress bar show loading progress while pyCSAMT parses the files.

For EDI data, the loader builds a pycsamt.site.Sites collection and a station table with these fields:

Column

Meaning

ID

Station identifier, normally derived from the EDI station name.

Line

Survey-line label when a line mapping is available.

Latitude / Longitude

Station coordinates read from file metadata.

Elevation

Station elevation, when available.

N_freq

Number of frequency samples in the loaded transfer function.

Tipper

Whether tipper information is present.

After a successful load, the same survey object is sent to the profile, map, QC, correction, advanced tools, forward, inversion, interpretation, pipeline, and agent windows. This keeps the desktop session coherent: selecting a station in the table updates the detail card, profile actions, map actions, and downstream workflow panels.

Station Search And Selection#

The station table search box filters visible stations by text. Use it to quickly isolate a station number, line label, or naming pattern before opening profile and map views.

When a station is selected, the detail panel shows coordinates, elevation, frequency coverage, period range, tipper availability, and a compact quality indicator. The Open Profile and Show on Map actions become available once the station has enough data for those views.

Recent Files#

Every path accepted by the loader is added to File > Recent Files. The recent list is capped by the desktop preferences and is restored when the app restarts. Selecting an entry from the menu reloads that path directly.

Recent files are most useful for single-file checks and small station groups. For full survey lines, prefer Open / Load EDI… and reload the folder so new or removed files are picked up consistently.

Save And Restore The Desktop Session#

Use Save Session to persist the desktop UI state. The session file is stored at:

~/.pycsamt/session.json

The session stores desktop preferences and layout information, including:

  • theme;

  • recent files;

  • last data directory;

  • selected station;

  • frequency range settings;

  • overlay choice;

  • main-window geometry and dock state;

  • per-window geometry for profile, map, QC, agent, inversion, and other tool windows;

  • configured solver paths, default inversion working directory, logging level, tile provider, and API key if entered in preferences.

The session does not replace the survey files themselves. Keep the original EDI, AVG, or J files in a stable project folder; the desktop session stores where you worked and how the interface was arranged, while the scientific data remain on disk.

Loading Recomputed EDIs#

If the desktop has just run an EDI recomputation workflow, the open-data dialog can expose a Load Recomputed EDIs shortcut. That button loads all *.edi files from the last recomputation output folder without manual navigation.

Use this flow when you have rotated, filtered, filled, or rewritten stations and want the corrected files to become the active desktop survey. After the load completes, the station table and downstream tools operate on the recomputed EDI set.

Practical Loading Checklist#

Before starting QC, correction, or inversion setup:

  • load one coherent survey line or one intentionally mixed survey group;

  • confirm the station count matches the expected line folder;

  • scan the station table for missing coordinates or zero frequency counts;

  • select a representative station and open its profile;

  • open the map view to confirm station ordering and coordinate sanity;

  • save the session once the workspace is arranged for the task.