In FCS Express Version 2, you created gates, and those gates were given a default number. In order to apply the gate, you had to create a gating formula. The gating formula had to be set on each plot. If you wanted to change the gate on many plots, you had to right click on each plot, go to the overlays tab, change the gating formula, press OK, and repeat this process for each plot. You no longer have to perform these operations.

Gates are referred to by name

The first important change is that gates are now referred to by their name, and not by a number. When you add a new gate, you will be prompted to enter the name for that gate. 

This makes it much easier to remember and distinguish different populations. In fact, you can even replace an existing gate with the gate you just created. This allows you to easily change one gate type into another gate type, without having to change the gates that are applied to the different plots.

If you set When a new gate is created, prompt for name option off in the main preferences, the gate will automatically be named as its gate number, which will be identical to the behavior in Version 2. However, we highly recommend to give each gate a meaningful name.

Applying Gates To Plots

There is now a new, and easier, way to apply gates to plots. Simply click on the plot, and the gate that is currently applied to the plot will appear on the gating toolbar. You can change the current gate by simply selecting a new gate on the toolbar. You can also use this technique to change the gate on multiple plots at the same time.

You can also change gates in manner similar to Version 2. Right click on the plot and select Format from the popup menu. Then go to the Overlays category. Now you can select the gate you wish from the list of available gates. Notice that you do not have to enter a gating formula, but simply select the gate you want from the list.

Use combination gates to create formulas

Even though you do not enter a gating formula on each plot, FCS Express still allows you to enter any type of gating formula you wish. In FCS Express Version 3 you create a special kind of gate, called a combination gate. Then you apply the combination gate to whichever plots you want. This way, you can create the combination gate in one place, and use it wherever you want. If you wish to change the formula in the combination gate, you can change it in only one place and it will update everywhere the combination gate was used. 

Gate View

FCS Express Version 3 has a new Gate View object that can be inserted on a page. The gate view displays a list of all the gates, and their gating hierarchy. The gate view allows you to add, delete and change the properties of a gates without going to the gate info screen. The Gate View works like any other object, i.e. it can be copied, pasted, resized, moved, printed etc.

Change gates on multiple plots at once

FCS Express version 3 allows you to change the gate on multiple plots at the same time. Simply select all the plots you wish to change the gate on, and choose the new gate from the gating toolbar. When you change the gate on the toolbar, all selected plots will be updated. When you select multiple plots, the gate drop down list on the gating toolbar will display a gate name if all the selected plots are gated on the same gate. However, if some of the plots are gated on one gate, and other plots are gated on a different gate, the gate drop down list will be blank.