Conquer the Glaze Dragon With INSIGHT Glaze Chemistry Software
The PDF Manual.
Modified: November 20, 2021

Desktop Insight is now free!

Download it from the Files panel in your Insight-live.com account or from the home page at https://digitalfire.com (current downloads only include the program file, manual, starter recipe, materials - overrides data is built in).

Desktop Insight is legacy, we had to move on-line

We moved functionality to a private account at Insight-Live.com - because people now expect to get at their data from any device anywhere. And for our survival. Ceramic lab work is much bigger than glaze chemistry, it is a physical world where testing, observation, record-keeping are vital. Insight-Live is about maintaining that data. Its recipes share pictures, they have firing schedules, notes, development history, testing data, links, they belong to projects. And they accumulate into the thousands and are easy to find and compare.

Importing Desktop Insight recipes into your Insight-Live.com account

Desktop Insight, by default, opens and saves recipes to its INSIGHTDATA.DB recipe database file (that file is in your documents/insight folder, it can be uploaded and imported into Insight-live). If Desktop Insight does not find the INSIGHTDATA.DB file on startup, it imports, into its database, all the recipe files (e.g. RCP, RCX) it finds in your documents/insight/recipe folder (it does not erase the original files, but no longer uses them). From then on, when you choose File -> Open (not File -> Open File System) you open recipes from its database (using the Recipe Database Window). When you Save you save to the database. See page 94 of the manual for more information.

Why is Insight-Live so much different to use than Desktop Insight?

Because you have to be able to compare ten recipes side-by-side. For physics as well as chemistry. And people need to be able to find thousands on any device from anywhere.

Desktop Insight focusses solely on glaze chemistry

Insight FAQ

There is a direct relationship between the way ceramic glazes fire and their chemistry. Insight is a calculation tool anyone can use to learn and harness the power of glaze chemistry.

Without glaze chemistry you'll never really have control and you could be a slave to your suppliers or the trafficing in recipes that never work.

Overwhelmed by glaze chemistry? Try starting here.

What People Have Said

"The software demo works perfectly and it´s very professional. I have used one of your first software DOS versions already about 1988, when I was lecturer and teacher in local School of Art and Design. I have tried many other ceramic calculation softwares, but my opinion is that Insight is the most effective and professional for me. Thank You about your good information and care!"

"I had no problems installing it: Save the file, double-click the file. Fetch the key. And off we went. Earlier in the day I downloaded the Insight Manual and read the first parts as part of my software selection process. I chose Insight because I like the layout of the working windows and the technical approach to classical glazes. It fits my way of thinking about material. I find the tutorials inviting and useful. So far, I like Insight very well."

"I still find Insight amazing. If my wife would give me some time, I would use it alot more. Thank you for developing the program and the help you gave me in the past."

"Your programme looks absolutely wonderful and I am anxious to install and start working with it...It was actually my client that found your information online and forwarded me the URL. I was amazed at the level of work that you have put into developing your programme and the information you include is priceless. I can see this is both a learning tool and a quality control tool, with the option of upgrading to a server for application over a wide area network."

"I have found an absolute wealth of recipes on line, so many that it's impossible to distinguish the good, the bad and the ugly. Your program looks very promising in helping to understand what's out there, and I like your approach."

"I'm a very satisfied user of insight v. 5.4 level 2. Thank for your fine product and assistance ... you guys are great."


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