What’s new

Profex 5.4.0

Feature and bug fix release, October 13, 2024


Bug fixes
  • Report infinite crystallite size as „n.a.“ instead of „ERROR“ in the refinement results table
  • Use same precision for refinement results in refinement results table as in LST file
  • Fixed opening text files with spaces in file name from mouse context menu in control file editor
  • Fixed wrong intensity cursor coordinates on difference curve in sqrt and log10 scale
  • Draw center line on difference curve also in sqrt and log10 scale
  • Fixed crash when faulty STR files are indexed in structure import dialog
New features
  • Allow arbitrary background colors for graphs rather than predefined gray levels
  • Show tick marks and labels on the difference curve (labels are deactivated by default, can be activated in Edit -> Preferences -> Graphs -> Axes and Lines -> Show tick labels on difference curve)
  • Matching phases in search-match window can be sorted
  • STR file of selected phase in search-match window is shown in a new editor (behind „pinned phases“)
  • New context menu action „refine / fix all TDS“ in STR file editor
  • Unneeded statistics results can be hidden from refinement results table (Edit -> Preferences -> BGMN -> Summary Tables)
  • New context help text for control file editors
Known issues
  • When using a dark background for the plot, SVG exports contain white elements.
    • Workaround: Change the color in an SVG editor.
  • GOALs listed in the refinement summary can be missing.
    • Fix: Reset the listed GOALs in the preferences:
      • Edit -> Preferences -> BGMN -> Summary Tables -> Global Parameters and GOALs -> Listed GOALs (click Reset button).
      • Edit -> Preferences -> BGMN -> Summary Tables -> Local Parameters and GOALs -> Listed GOALs (click Reset button).

Profex 5.3.1

Bug fix release, August 31, 2024


Bug fixes
  • Fixed crash with Rigaku RAS files containing empty comment fields
  • Fixed multi-scan DIA import
  • GUI improvements in „format results“ and „process dia files“ tools

Profex 5.3.0

Feature and bug fix release, June 22, 2024


New features
  • New mouse context menu actions to refine or fix all fractional coordinates
  • New module in Tools menu to convert divergence slit intensities
  • New module in Tools menu to calculate bond lengths
  • Electron density map module: Added unit to scale
  • Ctrl+C can now be used on various dock windows (plot options, peak list) to copy data to the clipboard
  • Optimized colors in dark mode
  • New import filter for pyFAI synchrotron datasets
  • New menu Modules to reduce clutter in Tools menu
  • Electron Density Map, Waterfall Plot and Scan Tracer modules can use dark mode
  • Actions on scans in plot options list can now be applied to multiple selected scans
  • Changing color and style of scans in plot options list is now volatile (does not change the preferences) and can be applied to multiple scans at once
  • New smoothing algorithm using discrete cosine transform (DCT) in smoothing dialog
  • More key actions added to scan list
Bug fixes
  • Remember default instrument when creating a new refinement project
  • Electron density map module: Fixed automatic scaling of intensity
  • Electron density map module: Fixed transparent background when rendering contour lines
  • Improved messages when refinements are aborted or crashed
  • Show ‚complete‘ graph status after search-match completes
  • Fixed crash upon program exit when a pixmap was copied to the clipboard
  • Fixed drawing of active scans below the background curve (e.g. curves from peak fitting module)
  • Do not pre-select peak list filters when saving a preset and no filters are active
  • Fixed numbering of curves in peak fit module when curves were deleted prior to adding new ones
  • Fixed bug in simulated tube tail scans generating datasets that are incompatible with BGMN
  • Fixed crash in CIF import
  • Zlib updated

Profex 5.2.9

Bugfix release, May 11, 2024


  • Fixed wrong symmetry operands in exported CIF files
  • New export filter for Profex Graph Exchange files
  • Set default wavelength correctly when opening a file without wavelength information
  • Fixed wrong tool tip of EPS2 spinbox in the toolbar
  • Fixed a crash when importing CIF files with illegal Wyckoff symbols
  • Fixed crash when opening Bruker Raw V4 files in waterfall plot module

Profex 5.2.8

Bugfix release, March 15, 2024


  • Fixed bug when importing cubic structures from CIF files
  • Improved mouse context menu actions in text editor
  • Changing names of scans manually no longer appends the file name in case of multi-scan projects
  • CIF import: negative translations (e.g. -3/4) are converted to positive (+1/4) for consistency with BGMN
  • Separate import filter for xye files, ignores the error scan for display
  • Added tool tips and reset button to search-match settings in preferences dialog
  • Changed preferences implementation for not converting natively supported scan files
  • Fixed crash when exporting scans to xy that only contain hkl data

Profex 5.2.7

Bugfix release, February 19, 2024


  • Fixed random crashes on Mac M2 platform (and maybe others)
  • Fixed crash when closing projects while the last tab with a text file is shown

Profex 5.2.6

Bugfix and minor feature release, February 10, 2024


  • Phase selection is saved and resored in peak list filter presets
  • Single-peak refinement projects
  • Fixed bug in CIF parser with HM symbols containing the setting or origin
  • Fixed bugs in generation of instrument template files
  • Fixed linear background drawing in peak integrals with sqrt or log10 y-axis scaling
  • Draw the active region of peak fits
  • Added refinement toggling for B2 parameter
  • Disabled „reset file“ for BGMN projects
  • Increase file name when adding more than one amorphous peak
  • New import filter for CHI files
  • Fixed bug in search-match module refusing to run with synchrotron radiation
  • Phase selection is saved and restored in peak list filter presets
  • Improved context help text

Profex 5.2.5

Bugfix and minor feature release, December 29, 2023


  • New manual base line in tools -> add baseline
  • Save peak list filters in presets
  • Apply peak list filters to other projects
  • List *.xye files in ASCII import filter
  • Copy instrument sav and tpl files when applying control files to other projects
  • Fixed tab order in some instrument dialog pages
  • New import filter for Thermo Fisher TXL file format
  • Improved recognition of typos in syntax highlighter
  • Fixed phase names imported from COD files that only contain numeric values

Profex 5.2.4

Bugfix and minor feature release, October 26, 2023


  • Fixed icons disappearing after closing the preferences dialog
  • Fixed COD database connection not being restored after program restart
  • Improved default paths when selecting repository locations in the preferences dialog

Profex 5.2.3

Bugfix and minor feature release, September 22, 2023


  • Fixed accidentally enabled instrument configuration box in add-remove dialog
  • Removed option to select composition mode of graphs
  • Fixed filled color of graphs in dark mode
  • Added custom wavelength selection to absorption coefficient dialog
  • Added key sequences to navigate graphs
  • Option to specify a local COD CIF repository instead of using the online repository.
  • Show proper error message when downloading CIF files from COD fails
  • New Tool to calculate lattice plane spacings
  • Improved context help system
  • Ignore mouse events on the graph outside the plot if they don’t make sense
  • Improved CIF import
  • Fixed bug in GNR ESG files with negative 2theta values
  • Fixed Rigaku XML import of files with multiple scans

Profex 5.2.2

Bugfix and minor feature release, June 11, 2023


  • Show iterations and Chi^2 in project list
  • Context menu to show/hide columns in project list
  • Fixed regression with search-match refusing to run due to missing instrument or wavelength selection despite using project settings
  • Fixed regression with closing projects from project list context menu not working
  • Removed option to select light or dark GUI theme from preferences
  • Added option to select graph background color to preferences → Graph → Appearance

Profex 5.2.1

Bugfix release, May 09, 2023


  • moved configuration of COD database from structure import dialog to preferences dialog
  • fixed issues with CIF import whe CIF files don’t specify a phase name
  • change scan color and style directly from context menu in plot options list
  • fixed a crash when changing y-axis scaling on the fly, then changing scan styles in the preferences
  • new function to export peak lists of all open projects at once
  • fixed calculation of peak intensity in peak list
  • improved filtering of peak list
  • new import filter for all files (.) to auto-detect the format
  • instrument selection boxes in add-remove dialog and search-match module are now editable and use auto-completion
  • improved handling of instrument selection in add-remove dialog and search-match module when no specific instrument is selected
  • fixed scan offsets randomly not being applied in plot options list
  • minor GUI improvements
  • context help text for additional modules added
  • check for updates on Windows

Profex 5.2.0

Feature release, March 05, 2023


  • New operation qualification (OQ) wizard
  • Presets are categorized in menues
  • New tool to simulate tube tail measurements
  • Applying presets saves control files immediately
  • Fixed bug in Excel export presets
  • Fixed bug in peaklist with wrong normalization of intensities
  • Fixed bug in export of CIF files from LST files
  • Export Uaniso to CIF files instead of beta, as recommended by the CIF dictionary
  • Fixed crash when indexing structure repositories when indexing is disabled for some repositories
  • Re-arranged elements for control file templates in graphical instrument editor
  • Add LAMBDA when using a tube tail measurement in the instrument editor
  • Fixed duplicate preset entries due to upper- and lower-case file names
  • Fixed bug in ICDD XML importer when parsing hexagonal/rhombohedral space groups
  • New import filter for Rigaku Smartlab XML file format
  • Re-introduced toggling of phase visibility with Ctrl+0

Profex 5.1.1 released

Bugfix release, January 07, 2023


  • Avoid duplication of instruments when opening the add/remove phases dialog multiple times
  • Do not list text blocks multiple times when opening the preferences multiple times
  • Fixed several bugs in CIF import
  • New export filter for ASCII text format
  • Fixed bug in UDF import filter
  • Fixed bugs in export of waterfall plots

Profex 5.1.0 released

Major feature release, October 16, 2022


New features
  • Context help in various modules
  • Multi-range curve fitting
  • Export of electron density map raw data
  • New selection box to specify the reference structure repository
  • Option to open STR files after adding new phases
  • Improved CIF import to work with SPF SpringerMaterials ISP files
  • Open STR file of active scan from graph using Ctrl+T
  • Open STR files under cursor in SAV or LST file using Ctrl+T
  • Jump to phase in LST file when selecting a graph in the plot options list
  • Show scan name as tool tip when hovering the mouse over a scan
Minor UI improvements
  • Allow editing of source files in the structure import dialog
  • Moved favorites selection from preferences dialog to tools -> browse reference structures
  • Tool tips added in various dialogues
  • Double-click on status bar opens dialogues
  • Option to show the wavelength in the x-axis label
  • More Dectris detectors added to the detector configuration page in the instrument editor
  • Show-legend action removed from the context menu (use the View menu instead)
  • Added Q scale for x-axis
  • Dynamically adjust significant digits in axis labels according to zoom level
  • Toggle LeBail mode with F5/F6 key
  • Option to draw a highlight rectangle behind the hkl lines of the active scan
Bugfixes
  • Added support for divergenceCorrection data in xrdml files
  • Fixed error in CIF export ignoring the space group setting and missing symmetry operands
  • Fixed an error in CIF import if several sites use the same _atom_site_label
  • Fixed wrong handling of sample height displacement in peak integral module
  • Fixed drawing issues in electron density map dialog
  • Better error handling if creating projects goes wrong
  • Fixed crash when activating the inspector cursor
  • Fix chemistry table to work with internal standard quantifications
  • Fixed parsing error for Bruker raw V4 and Rigaku RasX files
  • Fixed wrong scaling and blurry fonts on high-DPI displays
  • Fixed bugs in exported SVG files

Profex 5.0.2 released

Minor feature release, May 22, 2022


  • Select scans by holding Shift and clicking on the graph
  • Fixed selection of scans during running refinements
  • Fixed regression with apply button in preferences dialog not working
  • New preference options to display only scans, only hkl lines, or both of refined phases
  • New scan styles: line with points or crosses, dashed line with points or crosses
  • Show / hide columns in the scan list
  • Don’t ask for instrument / wavelength when peak searching on an existing project
  • Fixed certain wavelengths not being assigned to characteristic spectra correctly
  • Preserve the scale factor of hkl reference lines when selecting a new reference structure

Profex 5.0.1 released

Bugfix release, March 13, 2022


  • removed option to customize quantity goal nomenclature in preferences
  • automatically run verification when opening CIF files in the structure import dialog
  • automatically run indexing when closing the structure import dialog
  • improved scan-math help dialog
  • better handling of settings in all dock window modules (search-match, peak fitting, peak list etc)
  • disabled selection of instrument and wavelength in search-match module when runnig search-match on an existing project
  • fixed calculation of Rexp in convergence progress window
  • removed the menu option to hide hkl indices
  • added a reload button to the peak list table
  • fixed inconsistent behaviour of view -> show / hide phase patterns
  • fixed phase duplication in search-match window when creating a project from pinned phases
  • fixed encoding bug in import filter for binary raw data formats (also fixes issues with SVG export and refinement reports)
  • displace scans also when EPSn values are hard-coded
  • fixed regression with copying graphs to clipboard not working
  • selection, activation, and export of multiple scans from scan list
  • sorting of projects, scans, and waterfall scans by drag-and-drop
  • waterfall plot accepts drop events
  • fixed various drawing issues in waterfall plot dialog

Profex 5.0.0 released

Major feature upgrade, January 29, 2022


  • Port to Apple Silicon ARM64 platform
  • Port to Qt 6.2
  • Indexing and hkl buffer code rewritten
  • Speed improvements in project loading and preferences
  • Enable / disable menu actions depending on graph / text widgets
  • New default text block and text block handling
  • Better scan highlighting in waterfall plot dialog
  • New indexing progress dialog with skip button added
  • Implementation of context help changed to capture interpreter functions
  • Sequential refinements
  • Sorting actions for project tree widget items added
  • Don’t clear search-match results list when running a regular refinement
  • Changed range limits of peak fit widget
  • Fixed batch refinement script code
  • Added more comment signs to ascii import filter
  • Added verbose level to preferences and debug output
  • Show full file path as tool tip in search-match results list
  • Handling of tube tail files fixed, are now also added to project backups
  • Don’t process VAL files natively on non-windows platforms
  • Fix resetting of wavelength in graphwindow when changing preferences
  • Configuration option for number of double click matches
  • Fix encoding of file names with umlauts on windows
  • Fix text encoding when reading and writing text files
  • Optimized dia polling intervals
  • Set number of strongest peak for double clicking
  • Major rewrite of instrument dialog
  • Context help for editinstrumentdialog
  • New menu to toggle base of hkl lines quickly
  • Show hkl reference lines on difference curve
  • Show best matching reference structures in search-match results
  • RU added to search-match controls
  • Context menu for increasing and decreasing refinement values
  • Add B1, k2, k1 when toggling RP parameter
  • Handling of T and D in reflexion geometry in instrument config dialog
  • Improved new dia file poller
  • Fixed instrument editor for fixed or variable slits
  • Don’t set geometry, only resize dialogs upon init