plotting from the shell

I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
data
e.g.
time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
....
I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.

Any suggestions?

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
> data
> e.g.
> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> ...
> I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
> directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
>
> Any suggestions?


You could use gnuplot.
See for example
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
or
http://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html

Andreas

--

Andreas Wilm | 0x7C68FBCC

Re: plotting from the shell

On Jan 9, 9:58 am, Andreas Wilm wrote:
> Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> > I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
> > data
> > e.g.
> > time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> > time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> > ...
> > I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
> > directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
>
> > Any suggestions?
>
> You could use gnuplot.
> See for examplehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
> orhttp://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html
>
> Andreas
>
> --
>
> Andreas Wilm | 0x7C68FBCC

It took some time but gnuplot with input redirection, png output, and
input handling for comma delimited files, I was able to get something
reasonable.

Plot2D, http://sourceforge.net/projects/plot2d, can also generate
plots like this and it's a fair bit easier to learn but it's simpler
and less powerful. It also works on Windows.

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> On Jan 9, 9:58 am, Andreas Wilm wrote:
>> Glenn MacGougan wrote:
>>> I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
>>> data
>>> e.g.
>>> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
>>> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
>>> ...
>>> I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
>>> directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
>>> Any suggestions?
>> You could use gnuplot.
>> See for examplehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
>> orhttp://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html
>>
> It took some time but gnuplot with input redirection, png output, and
> input handling for comma delimited files, I was able to get something
> reasonable.
>
> Plot2D, http://sourceforge.net/projects/plot2d, can also generate
> plots like this and it's a fair bit easier to learn but it's simpler
> and less powerful. It also works on Windows.

You startet this thread.
You suggest plot2d.
You are author of plot2d.

What did I not understand?

--
Best regards | Be nice to America or they'll bring democracy to
Cyrus | your country.

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> On Jan 9, 9:58 am, Andreas Wilm wrote:
>> Glenn MacGougan wrote:
>>> I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
>>> data
>>> e.g.
>>> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
>>> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
>>> ...
>>> I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
>>> directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
>>> Any suggestions?
>> You could use gnuplot.
>> See for examplehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
>> orhttp://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html
>>
> It took some time but gnuplot with input redirection, png output, and
> input handling for comma delimited files, I was able to get something
> reasonable.
>
> Plot2D, http://sourceforge.net/projects/plot2d, can also generate
> plots like this and it's a fair bit easier to learn but it's simpler
> and less powerful. It also works on Windows.

You started this thread.
You suggest plot2d.
You are author of plot2d.

What did I not understand?

--
Best regards | Be nice to America or they'll bring democracy to
Cyrus | your country.

Re: plotting from the shell

On Jan 9, 11:54 am, Cyrus Kriticos
wrote:
> Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> > On Jan 9, 9:58 am, Andreas Wilm wrote:
> >> Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> >>> I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
> >>> data
> >>> e.g.
> >>> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> >>> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> >>> ...
> >>> I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
> >>> directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
> >>> Any suggestions?
> >> You could use gnuplot.
> >> See for examplehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
> >> orhttp://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html
>
> > It took some time but gnuplot with input redirection, png output, and
> > input handling for comma delimited files, I was able to get something
> > reasonable.
>
> > Plot2D,http://sourceforge.net/projects/plot2d, can also generate
> > plots like this and it's a fair bit easier to learn but it's simpler
> > and less powerful. It also works on Windows.
>
> You started this thread.
> You suggest plot2d.
> You are author of plot2d.
>
> What did I not understand?
>
> --
> Best regards | Be nice to America or they'll bring democracy to
> Cyrus | your country.

So, nothing wrong with promoting what I think is a useful tool. I'm
also interested in how others are performing something similar.

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan wrote:

> On Jan 9, 11:54 am, Cyrus Kriticos
> wrote:
>
>>Glenn MacGougan wrote:
>>
>>>On Jan 9, 9:58 am, Andreas Wilm wrote:
>>>
>>>>Glenn MacGougan wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
>>>>>data
>>>>>e.g.
>>>>>time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
>>>>>time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
>>>>>...
>>>>>I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
>>>>>directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
>>>>>Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>>You could use gnuplot.
>>>>See for examplehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
>>>>orhttp://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html
>>
>>>It took some time but gnuplot with input redirection, png output, and
>>>input handling for comma delimited files, I was able to get something
>>>reasonable.
>>
>>>Plot2D,http://sourceforge.net/projects/plot2d, can also generate
>>>plots like this and it's a fair bit easier to learn but it's simpler
>>>and less powerful. It also works on Windows.
>>
>>You started this thread.
>>You suggest plot2d.
>>You are author of plot2d.
>>
>>What did I not understand?
>>
>>--
>> Best regards | Be nice to America or they'll bring democracy to
>> Cyrus | your country.
>
>
> So, nothing wrong with promoting what I think is a useful tool.

Actually, I think you probably just alienated a whole lot of people by
wasting our time in trying to help you with a bogus problem.

> I'm also interested in how others are performing something similar.

It's hard to believe you didn't know how to do that in gnuplot. It
appears that you picked a specific problem that you knew was easier to
solve with your tool than in gnuplot in a shameless ploy of self-promotion.

I think the net result of this thread has probably been to discourage
people from considering your tool and I doubt if anyone who's read this
will respond to any future postings you make asking plotting questions.

The pity is that we COULD use an easier-to-use alternative to gnuplot
for simple data plots (like may others, I have my own front-end I called
"xyplot") but you've just introduced a huge grain of salt....

Ed.

Re: plotting from the shell

On Jan 9, 3:41 pm, Ed Morton wrote:
> Glenn MacGougan wrote:
> > On Jan 9, 11:54 am, Cyrus Kriticos
> > wrote:
>
> >>Glenn MacGougan wrote:
>
> >>>On Jan 9, 9:58 am, Andreas Wilm wrote:
>
> >>>>Glenn MacGougan wrote:
>
> >>>>>I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
> >>>>>data
> >>>>>e.g.
> >>>>>time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> >>>>>time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> >>>>>...
> >>>>>I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
> >>>>>directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
> >>>>>Any suggestions?
>
> >>>>You could use gnuplot.
> >>>>See for examplehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-gnuplot/
> >>>>orhttp://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/gnuplot.html
>
> >>>It took some time but gnuplot with input redirection, png output, and
> >>>input handling for comma delimited files, I was able to get something
> >>>reasonable.
>
> >>>Plot2D,http://sourceforge.net/projects/plot2d, can also generate
> >>>plots like this and it's a fair bit easier to learn but it's simpler
> >>>and less powerful. It also works on Windows.
>
> >>You started this thread.
> >>You suggest plot2d.
> >>You are author of plot2d.
>
> >>What did I not understand?
>
> >>--
> >> Best regards | Be nice to America or they'll bring democracy to
> >> Cyrus | your country.
>
> > So, nothing wrong with promoting what I think is a useful tool.
>
> Actually, I think you probably just alienated a whole lot of people by
> wasting our time in trying to help you with a bogus problem.
>
> > I'm also interested in how others are performing something similar.
>
> It's hard to believe you didn't know how to do that in gnuplot. It
> appears that you picked a specific problem that you knew was easier to
> solve with your tool than in gnuplot in a shameless ploy of self-promotion.
>
> I think the net result of this thread has probably been to discourage
> people from considering your tool and I doubt if anyone who's read this
> will respond to any future postings you make asking plotting questions.
>
> The pity is that we COULD use an easier-to-use alternative to gnuplot
> for simple data plots (like may others, I have my own front-end I called
> "xyplot") but you've just introduced a huge grain of salt....
>
> Ed.

I wouldn't call promoting an open source project - free for all (with
a BSD licence - free even for commercial users to use the source)
shameless. And I'm actually interested in how others are doing it.
Using group discussions like this, albeit it came across a little
poorly, is the best way to get feedback about the software.

Re: plotting from the shell

On Jan 9, 4:51 pm, Glenn MacGougan wrote:

> > It's hard to believe you didn't know how to do that in gnuplot. It
> > appears that you picked a specific problem that you knew was easier to
> > solve with your tool than in gnuplot in a shameless ploy of self-promotion.
>
> > I think the net result of this thread has probably been to discourage
> > people from considering your tool and I doubt if anyone who's read this
> > will respond to any future postings you make asking plotting questions.
>
> I wouldn't call promoting an open source project - free for all (with
> a BSD licence - free even for commercial users to use the source)
> shameless.

The shamelessness is independent of the license. You could have simply
announced it to the group. Fortunately, it appears that noone wasted a
significant amount of time trying to help you solving a nonexistent
problem.

> And I'm actually interested in how others are doing it.

You could have simply announced it. If people find it interesting and
use it, you will get useful feedback. Trying to trick people in to
using one tool to show yours is better will not make people well
disposed towards you. If you were genuinely interested, in improving
your tool you could have tried a line like:

"I'm trying to improve my plotting tool (http://blah) by making it
significantly easier to use than GNUPlot and all other tools. I have
the data:

blah

My GNUPlot command looks like this BLAH, and the UltraMegaSuperPlot
comand looks like this. Is there an easier way to do this in GNUPlot
(or other tools)?"

-Ed
--
(You can't go wrong with psycho-rats.)(http://mi.eng.cam.ac.uk/~er258)

/d{def}def/f{/Times s selectfont}d/s{11}d/r{roll}d f 2/m{moveto}d -1
r
230 350 m 0 1 179{1 index show 88 rotate 4 mul 0 rmoveto}for/s 12 d f
pop 235 420 translate 0 0 moveto 1 2 scale show showpage

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan writes:

> I have a multiple comma delimited data files with 6 columns of numeric
> data
> e.g.
> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> time (s), value1, value2, value3, value4, value5
> ...
> I want to plot all of this data (time vs value, all on one plot)
> directly to an image file for later viewing using a shell script.
>
> Any suggestions?

I'd use Grace http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/

xmgrace -nxy filename

You may have to remove the commas - see tr()

Output formats include X11, Postscript, EPS, MIF, SVG, PNM, JPEG, RNG, Metafile

I really like the interactive way you can modify the chart (legends,
titles, subtitles, axis, styles, colors, tickmarks, etc.)

Here's a sample format that matches your needs

http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/gallery/test2.png

If the data is to be generated dynamically, I set up the title/style
of the graph, and save the parameters in a file separate from the
data. I then reuse the parameter file:

xmgrace -param chart.param -nxy datafile

This will pop up a window that allows the user to zoom in, scroll, etc.

Or you can have it generate a JPEG file and exit.

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan writes:


> So, nothing wrong with promoting what I think is a useful tool.

You misrepresented yourself.

Re: plotting from the shell

Glenn MacGougan wrote:

> I wouldn't call promoting an open source project [...] shameless.

But you do see the shamelessness of your particular method of promotion,
don't you?

robert