Visualizing Test Samples

Test Samples represent physical material generated from a parent formulation or batch. Each Test Sample can have its own associated measurements and metadata.

This article covers how these measurements are visualized by default and how to configure individual test sample visualizations when needed.

Aggregated Test Sample Visualizations

By default, measurements taken on Test Samples are aggregated and treated as if they belong to the parent sample. This means:

• On scatter plots, only one point will appear per parent sample, regardless of how many Test Samples were created.
• If there are multiple Test Samples, their measurements are averaged, and the plot may also display error bars representing the standard deviation.

This behavior is useful when Test Samples are replicates or when individual variation is not relevant to your analysis.

Example

In the visualization below, three Test Samples are associated with the same parent experiment.

When data from test samples is visualized on the Explore Data page (e.g. Mixing Time vs. Viscosity), only a single data point appears by default. This point reflects the aggregated values from all three test samples (e.g., the average and standard deviation), and is treated as if it were a measurement directly associated with the parent experiment.

Split Test Sample Visualizations

In some cases, each test sample should be visualized independently. For example, if each test sample represents a unique condition, test method, or formulation variant, aggregating them could obscure important trends.

There are two methods to split test samples.

Method 1: Quick Toggle from Visualizations Toolbar

1. Click the eye icon in the gray visualization toolbar.
2. Enable Split Test Samples.

This will display each test sample on its own, rather than averaging them under the parent.

With Split Test Samples enabled, each test sample is shown as an individual data point—resulting in three separate points for the three test samples.

Method 2: Configure via Chart Settings

1. Click the settings icon in the gray visualization toolbar.
2. In the Main tab of the Chart Settings modal, locate the Test Sample display options:
   • Hide (keep with parent) — Default behavior. Test sample measurements are aggregated and displayed as a single point with the parent experiment.
   • Show (split as points) — Displays individual test sample points alongside the aggregated value for the parent.
   • Show (only test samples) — Displays only the individual test sample points, excluding the aggregated parent value.

This method allows finer control over how test samples are visualized on a chart.

Highlighting Associations in Split Test Sample Visualizations

When displaying individual test samples, color can help differentiate between samples and highlight their parent experiment relationships.

Highlighting Individual Test Samples

To assign a unique color to each individual test sample:

• Set the Select Color field to Experiment Name.

This is useful for distinguishing data points when multiple test samples are displayed in a single chart.

Highlighting Parent Experiment Associations

To group test samples by their parent experiment using color:

1. Set Select Color to Experiment Name.
2. Click the arrow next to the color field to expand advanced options.
3. Check the box for Use Parent Experiment Name.

This will apply the same color to all test samples from the same parent, making it easy to see which samples are related.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble creating an Explore Data visualization using test samples, make sure the X and Y axes are properly configured to include test sample data.

To check this:

1. Click the arrow beneath the Select X/Y Axis field to expand axis settings.
2. In the Links tab, confirm that Test Samples (and, if needed, Experiments) are listed as included inputs or outputs.

This ensures that the selected fields are correctly linked to your test sample data and can appear in the chart.

Summary

• Default behavior: Test sample data is averaged and plotted as if it belongs to the parent experiment.
• Split Test Samples: Use when individual test sample results should be visualized separately.
• Color by Test Sample: Distinguish individual test samples using unique colors based on experiment name.
• Color by Parent Experiment: Group test samples by their parent experiment using shared colors.

For more on working with Test Samples, refer to Test Samples.