A ventilator system comprising: a ventilator operative to provide a patient with ventilation; a ventilator display operative to provide a graphical user interface wherein the GUI includes a touchscreen; and a processor programmed to: receive a user selection of either a mechanical or pressure supported ventilation breath setting from the touchscreen; receive a user selection of a target parameter and a control parameter for the mechanical or PSV breath setting from the touchscreen; receive a user request to load a set of waveforms provided by the manufacturer of the ventilator system; in response to the user request, display on the ventilator display a set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) provided by the manufacturer of the ventilator system for the combination of the breath setting, target parameter and control parameter selected by the user, wherein the set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) comprises one or more of a pressure waveform, a flow waveform and a volume waveform; receive a user alteration of any of the set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) with the touchscreen to a desired patient setting; adjust the known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) in the set that have been altered by the user, in response to the user alternation; and set the ventilator according to the desired patient settings, such that the ventilator will operate according to the set of known ideal waveforms comprising the adjustments made in response to the user alteration. a ventilator operative to provide a patient with ventilation; a ventilator display operative to provide a graphical user interface wherein the GUI includes a touchscreen; and a processor programmed to: receive a user selection of either a mechanical or pressure supported ventilation breath setting from the touchscreen; receive a user selection of a target parameter and a control parameter for the mechanical or PSV breath setting from the touchscreen; receive a user request to load a set of waveforms provided by the manufacturer of the ventilator system; in response to the user request, display on the ventilator display a set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) provided by the manufacturer of the ventilator system for the combination of the breath setting, target parameter and control parameter selected by the user, wherein the set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) comprises one or more of a pressure waveform, a flow waveform and a volume waveform; receive a user alteration of any of the set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) with the touchscreen to a desired patient setting; adjust the known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) in the set that have been altered by the user, in response to the user alternation; and set the ventilator according to the desired patient settings, such that the ventilator will operate according to the set of known ideal waveforms comprising the adjustments made in response to the user alteration. receive a user selection of either a mechanical or pressure supported ventilation breath setting from the touchscreen; receive a user selection of a target parameter and a control parameter for the mechanical or PSV breath setting from the touchscreen; receive a user request to load a set of waveforms provided by the manufacturer of the ventilator system; in response to the user request, display on the ventilator display a set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) provided by the manufacturer of the ventilator system for the combination of the breath setting, target parameter and control parameter selected by the user, wherein the set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) comprises one or more of a pressure waveform, a flow waveform and a volume waveform; receive a user alteration of any of the set of known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) with the touchscreen to a desired patient setting; adjust the known ideal waveforms (24, 32, 34) in the set that have been altered by the user, in response to the user alternation; and set the ventilator according to the desired patient settings, such that the ventilator will operate according to the set of known ideal waveforms comprising the adjustments made in response to the user alteration.