Annotations

Annotations are interactive overlays placed on the waveform chart that let you mark, measure, and label important events in a recording. They are useful for:

• Marking events: Flag fault inception, breaker operation, relay pickup, or any other timing event with a visible vertical marker and label.
• Taking measurements: Stamp RMS or instantaneous amplitude values at specific moments. Measure time deltas between two points, or compare values across different channels.
• Documenting findings: Attach free-text notes at any position on the chart. When you export the waveform as a PNG image, all visible annotations are included, making them ideal for reports and documentation.

Annotations are non-destructive. They do not modify the underlying COMTRADE data. They can be created, repositioned, edited, color-coded, and deleted at any time. Annotations can be embedded directly into COMTRADE exports (CFF or ZIP) so they travel with the file, or exported separately as a JSON file for sharing and re-import.

To start annotating, click the + Annotate pill button in the main waveform toolbar. A labeled popover opens with all nine annotation tools — each row shows the tool name, a short hint, and the tool's icon. Click a row to arm the tool, then click on the waveform to place the annotation.

While a tool is armed, the + Annotate button stays highlighted and a floating hint banner appears at the top of the waveform chart. The banner shows the tool-specific instruction (e.g. "Click on a channel to stamp RMS value") and a clickable "Esc to cancel" label. For two-click tools, the banner text changes to "Click to set end point..." after the first click.

All annotations are interactive once placed. You can drag cards and dots to reposition them, change colors, edit labels, and toggle selection.

The Auto Fault Window button is the leftmost button in the annotation group of the main waveform toolbar. Its icon is a pair of vertical bracket markers around a waveform spike — a visual shorthand for "fault inception and clearance." Clicking it opens a channel picker where you can select which channels to analyze. Current channels are pre-selected by default.

When you confirm, Detego runs its fault detection algorithm on each selected channel and automatically places event marker annotations at the detected fault inception and clearance times. If multiple fault events are detected on the same channel (e.g., an auto-reclose sequence), each event gets its own pair of markers labeled with the event number.

This is a quick way to get timing markers on the waveform without manually hunting for the fault boundaries. The markers are regular annotations. You can reposition, relabel, or delete them just like any other annotation.

Click the list icon in the annotation group of the main waveform toolbar (it sits between the Auto Fault Window button and the + Annotate pill) to open the Annotation Panel. A small numeric badge on the icon shows the current annotation count. The panel slides in from the right and provides a centralized view of all annotations on the current recording.

A Clear All trash-can button appears next to the + Annotate pill whenever at least one annotation exists. Clicking it opens a branded confirmation dialog before removing anything.

Panel Features

• View all annotations: Each annotation appears as a row showing its type icon, type label, editable label text, timestamp or time range, and measured value (where applicable).
• Edit labels: Double-click any annotation label to edit its text inline. Press Enter to save or Escape to cancel.
• Change colors: Click the color dot next to an annotation to open a color picker with eight preset colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, gray, pink).
• Select and highlight: Click an annotation row to select it and highlight it on the waveform chart. Click again to deselect.
• Delete: Hover over an annotation row to reveal the delete button on the right side.

Import and Export

The panel footer contains three actions:

Annotations can be preserved in three ways:

COMTRADE embedding: When exporting a COMTRADE file (CFF or ZIP), check "Include annotations" in the export popup. Annotations are serialized into the INF section of the file. When the file is later re-imported into Detego, annotations are automatically restored: labels, positions, colors, and types all survive the round-trip.

PNG chart export: When you export the waveform chart as a PNG image, all visible annotations are captured in the screenshot. This includes measurement stamps, event markers, text notes, and delta measurement lines. The export uses the current zoom level and visible channels, so you can frame the exact view you want before exporting.

JSON export: The Annotation Panel footer has an Export button that saves all annotations as a standalone JSON file. This file can be shared with colleagues and re-imported via the Import button.

• Use Delta Measurement for timing: When measuring relay operating time, fault duration, or any time interval, the delta tool gives you a persistent on-chart measurement that updates if you drag the endpoints.
• Stamp RMS at key moments: Place RMS stamps at pre-fault, during-fault, and post-fault times to document the magnitude changes across the event.
• Start with Auto Fault Window: Let the algorithm find fault inception and clearance, then manually add your own measurements and notes around those events.
• Use Cross-Channel Delta for comparisons: This is useful for measuring the time difference between a fault appearing on one channel versus another, or comparing current magnitudes between phases.
• Color-code by purpose: Use consistent colors for different annotation categories (e.g., red for fault events, blue for measurements, green for normal-state references) to make complex charts easier to read.
• Embed annotations in COMTRADE exports: When exporting a recording, check "Include annotations" to embed them in the file. This way annotations are automatically restored when the file is re-imported, without needing a separate JSON file.