DigitSeis: Troubleshooting

Miaki Ishii

Back to DigitSeis Page

Installing DigitSeis
Starting DigitSeis
Loading Image
Classifying Objects
Digitizing and Correcting Traces
Setting Time
Saving Analysis
Uninstalling DigitSeis
Working With Extracted SAC


Headings in blue font are specific to Macs and those in green font are specific to PCs. Others are both for Macs and PCs. If you try solutions suggested in this document and the problem is still not solved, please contact the developer.


Installing DigitSeis


Starting DigitSeis


Loading Image


Classifying Objects

  • A window asking about internet connection is displayed
    This confirmation window is displayed when not all files have been downloaded during the installation stage.
    • Choose "Yes" to allow internet access. The confirmation window will not come up in subsequent usage of DigitSeis.

  • Error sound is heard and there is no progress on the classification (progress bar does not move) (PC)
    If DigitSeis is installed on drives other than the C drive, there may be issues with classification calculations.
    • Uninstall DigitSeis and reinstall it on the C drive.
    • If your C drive is protected, temporarily unprotect it and install DigitSeis on the C drive.

  • Message window "DigitSeis.exe has stalled" is displayed (PC)
    This message is sometimes displayed when Windows operating system has not been updated.
    • Close DigitSeis, update Windows, and reopen DigitSeis to continue the analysis.

  • Nothing changes for more than 15 minutes
    If no change is observed for more than 15 minutes (i.e., the progress bar seems frozen), then it's likely that there is issue with memory capacity.
    • See entry below on "Not Enough Memory".

  • "Not Enough Memory" message is displayed
    • Try to give DigitSeis enough memory by closing all unnecessary applications.
    • If you have been working in DigitSeis for a while, save the analysis and close DigitSeis. Restart DigitSeis, load the analysis, and continue with classification.
    • Activate the classification plus menu by clicking the "+" button next to "Classify Object" button. Check the "save memory" checkbox, and close the classification plus menu. Save the analysis and close DigitSeis. Reopen DigitSeis, load the analysis, and click on "Classify Object" button to see if classification can be completed.
    • If none of the above works, open the classification plus menu (see above) and uncheck all options for parallelization. Close the plus menu, save the analysis, and close DigitSeis. Reopen DigitSeis, load analysis, and try classification.
    • If none of the above works, then the memory available is too small for the image you are trying to analyze. Consider splitting the analysis of the image into small parts (downsampling the image does help, but is not recommended due to loss of information and possible waveform distortion and time calculation issues). It is recommended that you cut the image horizontally so that the reduced image still contains continuous time series. In order to do so, you can reactivate image cropping tool by clicking "Image Recropping" button within the classification plus menu.

  • The number of cores for parallelization cannot be set back to default
    • If the non-default number has not been saved as default, return to a save before the number of cores was changed.
    • If the non-default number has been saved as default, the only way to return to default is resetting the defaults completely, using the steps below.
      1. Search for the file "defaultDigitSeis.mat" in your computer.
      2. Delete "defaultDigitSeis.mat".
      3. Reopen DigitSeis. The defaults are activated for new analyses.

  • There are large gaps in the automatic classification
    • Check if "minimum # of pixels" in the classification plus menu is too high. Lowering this to a very low value often resolves this issue.
    • Check if the time mark width is set to too low of a negative value. The absolute value of a negative time mark width is used as a minimum width for all objects in the classification step.

  • Most of the icons are inactive and classification cannot be continued
    • Check if small region classification window is open. This window might be hidden behind the main classification window. Closing the small region classification window will reactivate the icons in the main classification window.
    • Check if bringing the cursor to the classified object field will show the yellow crosshair. If it does, this means that classification type selection tool (icons with coloured circles) is active. Right click or press the enter key to end the selection.
    • Check if dragging the mouse within the classification object field will produce a rectangle. If it does, the small region classification tool has been activated. Double click the rectangle to open the small region classification window and close it.
    • If none of the above applies, close the classification window to go back to the main DigitSeis window. Clicking on the "Classify Object" window will re-open the classification window and resets the icons.

  • "Close" and "Apply" buttons in the small region classification window are not working (PC)
    Sometimes these buttons become non-responsive when the window has been resized by dragging the side or corners.
    • Resize the window again to make the buttons usable.

  • It's not clear if Zoom and Pan icons have been clicked (Mac)
    This appears to be compatibility issue between MATLAB and Mac OS released after 2015. Sometimes when you bring the cursor to the image area, it changes into magnifying glass (with + for zoom in and - for zoom out) or hand (pan). We are still searching for a good solution to this problem.

  • The cursor disappears when working in the small region classification or in the main classification window (Mac)
    This appears to be a bug with MATLAB, but we have not yet found a solution. Often, this problem can be fixed if you click on one of the icons to change type of classification (the icons with coloured circles) to activate the crosshair and then right click to end the selection session without modifying any object classification type.

Digitizing and Correcting Traces


Setting Time

  • "Calculate Timing" or "Recalculate Timing" button is inactive (cannot click)
    • Check if the correct trace plus menu is open. The "Calculate Timing" button is disabled while the correct trace plus menu is open. Closing this window should activate "Calculate Time" button.
    • Check if the time plus menu is open. While this window is open, the "Calculate Timing" button is inactivated, so close the window.

  • "Update Time" button is inactive (cannot click)
    • Check if enough absolute times (times displayed in red numbers) have been set. At least one absolute time is needed for each time segment (not each line of trace). If you have added time divisions, you will need multiple reference times.

Saving Analysis

  • Changing analyst's name or affiliation
    1. Click on the "i" icon at the top right corner of the DigitSeis window to open the information window.
    2. Change name/affiliation. If "Save" button at the bottom right corner is clicked, then the name and affiliation that is being displayed will be become the default and will be used for all future analyses.
    3. Close the window.

Uninstalling DigitSeis

  • Uninstalling DigitSeis (Mac)
    1. Move the DigitSeis folder to Trash.
    2. Use the Spotlight Search tool (magnifying glass icon on the menubar at top right corner) to search for defaultDigitSeis.mat. If this file exists in other folders, move it to Trash.
    3. If your computer does not have MATLAB installed, go to the Applications folder and remove MATALB and/or MATLAB RunTime folders.
    4. Empty Trash to complete uninstallation.

  • Uninstalling DigitSeis (PC)
    1. Go to the DigitSeis folder and double click on "uninstall" folder. Go to bin/win64 folder by double clicking on the "bin" and then "win64" folder icons. Double click on the "uninstall" icon to start the uninstallation process.
    2. Follow the instructions on the uninstallation window to complete uninstallation.
    3. Remove DigitSeis folder.
    4. If there are defaultDigitSeis.mat files or DigitSeis shortcuts, remove them.
    5. Empty Trash.

Working With Extracted SAC



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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences / Harvard University / 20 Oxford Street / Cambridge / MA 02138 / U.S.A. / Telephone: +1 617 495 2350 / Fax: +1 617 496 1907 / Email: reilly@eps.harvard.edu