ARRITT@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (What a waste it is to lose one's mind.) (01/24/90)
Does anyone know of a good package for *scientific* graphics? There are
lots of business-type graphics packages available, but the few scientific
graphics packages (e.g. MathCad) I've seen are quite limited (no or very
primitive contour plots, no vector fields, etc).
I'm talking about plotting arrays of numbers (e.g., generated by a numerical
model or data analysis program), and specifically NOT about freehand "draw" or
"paint" programs. The two main requirements are for contour plots (say, a
topographic map with labeled contours) and vector fields (not to be confused
with vector graphics; I'm talking about something like wind vectors at
specified points) with the ability to superimpose the two onto one frame. I
don't need business-type stuff like pie charts, histograms, etc., though this
would be ok if included as extras. Some method for producing hardcopy output
(preferably PostScript) is essential. Finally, the source code must be
available so that I can put in things like coordinate transformations, etc.
The source should be in [asbestos suit on] Fortran [asbestos suit off].
The package would be something with capabilities very similar to NCAR Graphics
(with which I have experience on mainframes). One company offers a PC
version of NCAR Graphics for about $1700. This seems very high,
considering that the basic NCAR package is public domain (and compares
to $900 for a Unix workstation version of NCAR Graphics sold by another
company). I'm willing to spend <$1000, ideally <<$1000, or better yet
public domain.
Any help you can offer would be appreciated. I'm especially interested in
hearing the experiences of people who actually have used one package or
another. And has anyone done their own port of NCAR Graphics to a PC?
________________________________________________________________________
Ray Arritt |
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy |
Univ. of Kansas |
Lawrence, KS 66045 |
arritt@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu |
arritt@ukanvax.bitnet |
tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu (Tom [Chris] Murphy) (01/24/90)
The graphics arts person here at WPI uses a package called SigmaPlot
with good results. I haven't done much with it personally but a professor
I spoke to said it was the first package he had seen that had good
scientific functions. It's produced by:
Jandel Scientific
65 Koch Rd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415)924-8640
I have no relation to the company, I just know some happy people using it.
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Thomas C. Murphy Worcester Polytechnic Institute CAD Lab
Internet: tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu tmurphy@zaphod.wpi.edu
BITNET: TMURPHY CompuServe: 73766,130
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