kfink@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Kevin Fink) (04/01/89)
I'm looking for a graphing package for an IBM AT clone. I would prefer public
domain or shareware, but if none are available, I would be willing to buy it.
What I'm looking for is something similar to CricketGraph for the Macintosh.
In general, I need a x-y coordinate grapher with curve fitting, error bars,
interpolation and extrapolation, ability to overlay graphs, etc.
I would like something fairly easy to use, perhaps modeled after a
spreadsheet. I currently use Quattro, but it's oriented more toward business
graphs. I'm not interested in pie charts, bar charts, etc. It can't do any
curve fitting (other than straight lines), error bars, etc.
I have tried Optiks, The Draftsman, and a couple other shareware programs,
but none do what I want. I suspect that I will have to buy commercial, so
would like recommendations. I'm sure there has to be something out there.
Thanks.
Kevin Fink kfink@jarthur.claremont.edu -or- uunet!muddcs!kfink
kfink@hmcvax.bitnet -or- kfink@jarthur.uucproseann@eeg.UUCP (White) (04/05/89)
From article <649@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>, by kfink@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Kevin Fink): > I would like something fairly easy to use, perhaps modeled after a > spreadsheet. I currently use Quattro, but it's oriented more toward business > graphs. I'm not interested in pie charts, bar charts, etc. It can't do any > curve fitting (other than straight lines), error bars, etc. > We are looking for a good graphics package for our XT clone. Right now we are trying out hardvard graphics, which is pretty user friendly. However Quattro seems to be more of what we are looking for!!!! How do other people feel about it? -- Roseann Fowler-White, Operations Manager, EEG Systems Laboratory 51 Federal St, rm 401, San Francisco, Ca 94107 (415) 957-1600, ext. 103 roseann@eeg.com postmaster@eeg.com {pacbell,lll-winken,ucsfcgl}!eeg!roseann
brb@briar.philips.com (Brian Bertan;6309;3.75;$0202) (04/06/89)
In article <617@eeg.UUCP> roseann@eeg.UUCP (White) writes: > >We are looking for a good graphics package for our XT clone. Right >now we are trying out hardvard graphics, which is pretty user friendly. >However Quattro seems to be more of what we are looking for!!!! >How do other people feel about it? I am a satisfied Quattro user. However, there are some drawbacks regarding the graphics. Here are some features I would like to see added. 1) Allow hatch patterns in Encapsulated PostScript output. The manual states that for EPS, hatch is changed to dot fill. 2) More flexibility in formatting the Y-Axis. I cannot stand when I see the numbers reduced by 3 orders of magnitude, and the word "THOUSANDS" added. Very annoying in engineering/science graphs. 3) Log-log and semilog (where you can choose the log axis). 4) Another line for text at the bottom of the graph. Brian Brian Bertan Philips Labs 345 Scarborough Rd. Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 (914) 945-6309 philabs!brb
cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA (Stephen M. Dunn) (04/08/89)
I learned to use Harvard Graphics at my summer job in 1988. I found it very easy to use with a keyboard (I didn't have the opportunity to try it out with a mouse). I have only a couple of complaints about it: - It does not allow items on screen to be rotated or reflected. As far as I am concerned, this is a fairly major drawback. - The fonts are also imperfect. Three of the six (Roman, Gothic and Script) can only be used for fairly small lettering, as areas which are supposed to be solid are, in fact, just three lines (two as boundaries and one to provide some sort of filler). Therefore, if you blow them up large enough (just how big depends on your output device), they look pretty cheap. Also, some combinations of attributes for some fonts are not supported (of course, some of these, like Gothic Italic, make no sense anyway). Third font problem: the inability to mix fonts on one graph. Other than these, I give Harvard two thumbs up. Hope this helps. Regards -- ====================================================================== ! Stephen M. Dunn, cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA ! DISCLAIMER: ! ! This space left unintentionally blank - vi ! I'm only an undergrad ! ======================================================================
BVAUGHAN@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Barbara Vaughan) (04/10/89)
In article <2373@maccs.McMaster.CA>, cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA (Stephen M. Dunn) writes: > > I learned to use Harvard Graphics at my summer job in 1988. I found it >very easy to use with a keyboard (I didn't have the opportunity to try it >out with a mouse). I have only a couple of complaints about it: > >- It does not allow items on screen to be rotated or reflected... >- The fonts are also imperfect... Harvard Graphics has two other drawbacks that prevent me from using it as my only graphing program: 1) It cannot plot an equation. 2) It has only four line types: thin solid, thick solid (not very distinguishable from thin solid), dotted and dashed. If you plot more lines than that on one graph, you have to use point markers (of which there are 13 to choose from) to distinguish the lines. If the points are close together, as they would be if you try to simulate the plot of a nonlinear equation, this is unacceptably messy looking These drawbacks make Harvard Graphics unsuitable for most statistical, scientific and mathematical purposes. For these applications, I use Energraphics, which also has faults, but none that I can't live with.
carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson) (04/11/89)
In article <617@eeg.UUCP> roseann@eeg.UUCP (White) writes: >From article <649@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>, by kfink@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Kevin Fink): >> I would like something fairly easy to use, perhaps modeled after a >> spreadsheet. I currently use Quattro, but it's oriented more toward business >> graphs. I'm not interested in pie charts, bar charts, etc. It can't do any >> curve fitting (other than straight lines), error bars, etc. >We are looking for a good graphics package for our XT clone. Right >now we are trying out hardvard graphics, which is pretty user friendly. >However Quattro seems to be more of what we are looking for!!!! >Roseann Fowler-White, Operations Manager, EEG Systems Laboratory >roseann@eeg.com postmaster@eeg.com {pacbell,lll-winken,ucsfcgl}!eeg!roseann Quattro is a very good program for the price, but Harvard Graphics has a lot more flexibility for graphics. Quattro is a spreadsheet program with good graphics, while Harvard is a business graphics program that can read in spreadsheets and Lotus PIC files. Which program is better for you will depend on your priorities. Harvard Graphics can't do any complicated calculations like you can in a Quattro spreadsheet, but Harvard allows you a lot more choices in the graphs you make and you can use the annotate mode to add comments or highlight a certain point. I have been using Harvard Graphics to print the graphs two-to-a-page in portrait mode, which fits in very well for the papers I do. If I have a briefing on overhead slides I print a 1/4 size copy in Harvard, which gives me 4 slides to a page for the hard copies I hand out (saves a lot on photocopying). One big advantage Harvard has for text slides is that it so easy to learn. The average secretary or tech staff person can learn how to make text slides in about a half hour. I would have a hard time doing without both Quattro and Harvard Graphics, so I don't consider it an either-or choice. Bruce Carlson
cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA (Stephen M. Dunn) (04/12/89)
In article <7854@pucc.Princeton.EDU> BVAUGHAN@pucc.Princeton.EDU writes: >Harvard Graphics has two other drawbacks that prevent me from using >it as my only graphing program: > 1) It cannot plot an equation. > 2) It has only four line types: thin solid, thick solid (not very >distinguishable from thin solid), dotted and dashed. If you plot more >lines than that on one graph, you have to use point markers (of which >there are 13 to choose from) to distinguish the lines. If the points >are close together, as they would be if you try to simulate the plot >of a nonlinear equation, this is unacceptably messy looking I've never had trouble distinguishing thick from thin lines, but I guess it probably depends on your output device and resolution. As for not being able to plot an equation, that's a good point (although Harvard was intended for business applications rather than scientific ones). What I usually do in this case is to use Symphony to create a spreadsheet with the X and Y co-ordinates to whatever resolution I need, and then import it into Harvard. Then I plot it with the "Curve" option (tries to draw a smooth curve through as many data points as it can). Of course, this is not as pleasant an experience as using a graphics package that can directly plot functions, I'm sure, but it's an idea I use from time to time. DISCLAIMER: These comments are purely my own opinion as one who has used Harvard and Symphony. I have no affiliation whatsoever with any of the companies involved. -- ====================================================================== ! Stephen M. Dunn, cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA ! DISCLAIMER: ! ! This space left unintentionally blank - vi ! I'm only an undergrad ! ======================================================================
akcs.wek@ddsw1.MCS.COM ([Bill Kuykendall]) (04/16/89)
I'm not familiar with CricketGraph for the Macintosh but the Xerox booth at COMDEX was claiming that Xerox Presents is very similar. It looked like a capable package but it is an MS-Windows application and is pretty slow as a result.
tankus@hsi.UUCP (Ed Tankus) (04/17/89)
Try the folks at Microcompatibles in Silver Spring, MD. They have the graphing
packages you're looking for.
--
Ed Tankus.
Net : {uunet,noao,yale}!hsi!tankus -- OR -- tankus@hsi.com
Snail: Health Systems Int'l, 100 Broadway, New Haven, CT 06511
Bell : (203) 562-2101 - 6am to 2pm Eastern time.cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA (Stephen M. Dunn) (04/21/89)
In article <49037@linus.UUCP> carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson) writes: >read in spreadsheets and Lotus PIC files. Really? What version do you use? I've tried to get version 2.11 to read PIC files, but it doesn't want to. It'll read straight data from a worksheet, and it'll read a graph from a worksheet, but I can't get it to read PIC files. >I would have a hard time doing without both Quattro and Harvard Graphics, so >I don't consider it an either-or choice. I agree ... I've used Symphony and 1-2-3 with Harvard on several occasions and have found this to be an excellent combination. DISCLAIMER: I have absolutely nothing to do with any of the companies which produce or distribute the aforementioned software (whew); I've just used their products quite happily. -- ====================================================================== ! Stephen M. Dunn, cs3b3aj@maccs.McMaster.CA ! DISCLAIMER: ! ! This space left unintentionally blank - vi ! I'm only an undergrad ! ======================================================================