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How to use this key

Running the key

1. Install the Lucid Player This key has been built with the Lucid Builder and you need the Lucid Player installed on your computer to be able to use the key. The standard edition is a free download from LucidCentral. Please use version 2.2 or later – there are some problems with earlier versions that will affect the usability of this key.
2. Download the key Once you have the Player installed, you will need to get a copy of the key you wish to play. Download the diatom key.
3. Run the key Choose ‘Open this program from its current location’ to open the key directly from the website or choose ‘Save this file to disk’ and double-click the key file after it has downloaded to your computer.

Using the key

1. Open the key When the key first starts up you will be presented with a ‘title screen’ for the key.

2. Start the key Click the blinking key image at the top left to begin. Once you have started the key, the main Lucid screen will appear. You’ll see a series of buttons across the top and four main panels.

   Some useful buttons for this key

   

   General Information including term definitions and references. Restart will restart from the beginning of the key. Best lets the key guide you to a quick result.

   The Restart and Best buttons also appear elsewhere in the Lucid Player, but always have the same action.

3. Choosing a Character “Characters” are the characteristics of a specimen that you use to distinguish one species from another, such as distribution, pigmentation, and shape of specific parts. Click on a character to reveal a set of responses. Click on the before a response to see an image that will help you in matching that characteristic.

   There are several ways to choose which characters you will use. You can:

   • use the Best button and let Lucid choose your next character. This is the quickest method to make an identification.
   • go through them in order, or
   • answer the easy questions first.
4. Eliminating taxa To eliminate taxa from the list of possibilities, you will need to give the key some information about the specimen you are trying to identify. There are two ways to do this.
   • using character text Double-click on a character to reveal the list of responses. If you can choose easily without an image (for example, North Island vs South Island), then double-click on the text of the appropriate response. The key will then discard all the taxa that don’t match your selection.
   • using character images If you can’t decide between character states from the text alone then use the images to help you out. Click on the beside a single character state to display the related image. (Some images have a simple animation which is activated by clicking the macro button.) If you prefer to see the images for all the character states at once then click on the associated with the character. This creates a window that displays all the images related to that character. The image size can be adjusted using the image size slider .
5. Getting down to 1 taxon Repeat steps 2 and 3 until only 1 taxon is left. If you make a mistake and wish to remove a character state from what you have chosen, double-click it in the Character states chosen window.
6. Reviewing your chosen taxon To view images and information relating to your chosen taxon (or any taxa left in the Taxa remaining window), click on the next to the name and select the desired option from the menu that appears.

Exiting the key

When you are finished, simply close the key window as you would any other application.

Contact

For any queries about this key, contact the author, Cathy Kilroy.