1. A method of controlling a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus, comprising: controlling the NMR apparatus using a computer in order to apply radio frequency (RF) energy into a volume in an object, where the RF energy being applied is applied in a coordinated series of two or more variable sequence blocks, where a variable sequence block of applied RF energy includes one or more excitation phases, one or more readout phases, and one or more waiting phases, where at least one sequence block in the coordinated series of two or more variable sequence blocks differs from at least one other variable sequence block in the coordinated series of two or more variable sequence blocks, in at least N sequence block parameters, with N being an integer greater than one, and where the sequence block parameters may comprise: relaxation time, echo time, flip angle, phase encoding, diffusion encoding, flow encoding, RF pulse amplitude, RF pulse phase, number of RF pulses, type of gradient applied between an excitation portion of a sequence block and a readout portion of a sequence block, number of gradients applied between an excitation portion of a sequence block and a readout portion of a sequence block, type of gradient applied between a readout portion of a sequence block and an excitation portion of a sequence block, number of gradients applied between a readout portion of a sequence block and an excitation portion of a sequence block, type of gradient applied during a readout portion of a sequence block, number of gradients applied during a readout portion of a sequence block, amount of RF spoiling, and amount of gradient spoiling; where a first member of the coordinated series of two or more variable sequence blocks is configured to cause a first nuclei type in the volume of the object to produce a first NMR signal, and where a second member of the coordinated series of two or more variable sequence blocks is configured to cause a second different nuclei type in the volume of the object to produce a second NMR signal; controlling the NMR apparatus using the computer in order to acquire a signal evolution from the volume of the object, where the acquired signal evolution is a function of NMR excitation produced by applying the RF energy in the coordinated series of two or more variable sequence blocks; comparing, using the computer, the acquired signal evolution to one or more of, a reference signal evolution, and a combination of reference signal evolutions in order to generate at least one image of the object that provides a heteronuclear NMR fingerprinting quantitative characterization of the volume of the object based on the nuclei present in the volume of the object; and displaying the at least one generated image of the object that provides the heteronuclear NMR fingerprinting quantitative characterization of the volume of the object on a display that Is in communication with the computer.