brucem@merlin.bhpmrl.oz (Bruce Marett) (12/06/89)
Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age *badly* !! :-( bruce
aae391aa@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (12/07/89)
/* Written 8:38 pm Dec 5, 1989 by brucem@merlin.bhpmrl.oz > Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? > > I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age > *badly* !! :-( Try Kaleidagraph by Abelbeck Software. It is much like Cricket Graph but has a number of additional features that (in my opinion) make it nicer to use.
wtj@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (william.t.jones) (12/08/89)
>Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? > >I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age >*badly* !! :-( I can recommend KaleidaGraph 2.0 from Synergy Software (215-779-0522). We use it extensively here and are extremely happy with it. It includes 14 different types of graphs (line,scatter,double-y,histograms,bar,column, pie,polar,probability etc...) as well as a nicely integrated math,formula, macro capability, curve fitting (including general non-linear!). Bill Jones att!mhuxu!wtj
dricejb@drilex.UUCP (Craig Jackson drilex1) (12/09/89)
In article <1354@merlin.bhpmrl.oz> brucem@merlin.bhpmrl.oz (Bruce Marett) writes: >Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? > >I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age >*badly* !! :-( > > bruce One of the magazines, MacWorld I believe, has a review of scientific graphing packages this month. Sorry I can't be more precise, but all of those magazines are at home. I have heard of at least two scientific graphics packages: Kaleidagraph, and Igor. Kaleidagraph is written by Lonnie Abelbeck, who brought us VersaTerm. I bought a copy; it seems to be a fairly good package, with an emphasis on scientific and statistical graphics. I've been looking for a good business graphics package for the Mac-- something comparable to Harvard Graphics on the PC. I've got Wingz and Excel; both do nice graphics, but bring a lot of other stuff along. Wingz is real slow on a Plus. (This is rel 1.0.) I've heard about a new program called DeltaGraph, which is supposed to be much better. I've ordered a copy; I'll give a report when it arrives. -- Craig Jackson dricejb@drilex.dri.mgh.com {bbn,axiom,redsox,atexnet,ka3ovk}!drilex!{dricej,dricejb}
roy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) (12/09/89)
Isn't it amazing how users always want something the available programs can't do? The other day, somebody wanted to make a graph where the y axis was broken, with a change of scale, like so: 30 | X | 20 | X | 10 | X / / 3 | X | 2 | X | 1 | X | +------------------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 No, they didn't want a log-y plot, nor did they want to plot the top and bottom parts of the graph in two pieces like a Cricket Graph double-y plot. What they wanted was a split y axis with a change of scale. Anybody know of any programs which can deal with that? And, while I'm on the subject, I once had somebody who wanted to make a plot where the y values increased from the top to the bottom of the graph (i.e. an "inverted" y axis). Seems that is the conventional way to make the kind of graph he was makeing. Cricket Graph, however, does some "error checking" and insists that Ymax > Ymin. -- Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute 455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu -OR- {att,philabs,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy "My karma ran over my dogma"
vmrad@pollux (12/09/89)
In article <20200070@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu> aae391aa@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >/* Written 8:38 pm Dec 5, 1989 by brucem@merlin.bhpmrl.oz > > > Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? > > > > I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age > > *badly* !! :-( > >Try Kaleidagraph by Abelbeck Software. It is much like Cricket Graph but has >a number of additional features that (in my opinion) make it nicer to use. Try Igor, from a company called WaveMetrics. Far and beyond Cricket Graph in power. The key word is scientific. Excel has business graphics, but is very limited for scientific applications. Cricket Graph is better. Igor is wonderful. Bernard Littau VM Radiological Sciences Telephone: (916) 752-0184 School of Veterinary Medicine Internet: vmrad@ucdavis.edu University of California BITNET: vmrad@ucdavis Davis, CA 95616 UUCP: {ucbvax,lll-crg,sdcsvax}!ucdavis!vmrad Bernard Littau VM Radiological Sciences Telephone: (916) 752-0184 School of Veterinary Medicine Internet: vmrad@ucdavis.edu
jasmerb@prism.cs.orst.edu (Bryce Roger Jasmer) (12/11/89)
In article (Craig Jackson drilex1) writes: >In article (Bruce Marett) writes: >>Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? > >I've been looking for a good business graphics package for the Mac-- >[...] >I've heard about a new program called DeltaGraph, which is supposed to be >much better. I've ordered a copy; I'll give a report when it arrives. Ah yes, I think the name of the company is DeltaPoint. They sent me a brochure (how they got my address I do not know) a while ago and I remember drolling all over it. The graphics were pretty darn fantastic and the price was...get this... $89!! (for a limited time I believe). This was definitely an impressive *business* graphing package. Something that I would buy if I used a Macintosh. The program did full color, 2, 2.5, and 3 dimensional graphs. I wish I could find the brochure but it is finals week and my apartment is a mess. :-) I have a question for the scientific part of the net: What kind of plotting do you need that is different from business graphics? Tell me about the speciality stuff that you need. Mail me a postscript file of a plot that use now or would like to be able to do if you want. Please reply by email because I don't have much time to read comp.sys.mac. Thanks. ------------------- Bryce Jasmer jasmerb@cs.orst.edu -------------------
wtj@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (william.t.jones) (12/12/89)
In article <1989Dec9.013057.1976@phri.nyu.edu> roy@alanine.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes: >And, while I'm on the subject, I once had somebody who wanted to >make a plot where the y values increased from the top to the bottom of the >graph (i.e. an "inverted" y axis). Seems that is the conventional way to >make the kind of graph he was makeing. KaleidaGraph (from Synergy Software 215-779-0522) allows the user to "reverse" the normal direction of a axis. Bill Jones mhuxu!wtj
simon@alberta.uucp (Simon Tortike) (12/12/89)
In article <7413@cbnewsm.ATT.COM> wtj@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (william.t.jones,rd,) writes: >>Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? >> >>I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age >>*badly* !! :-( > >I can recommend KaleidaGraph 2.0 from Synergy Software (215-779-0522). We are very satisfied with Igor by Wavemetrics, especially since the release of v 1.1. It has many plotting variations, although it is not suitable for general business-type graphing (INMO). Its scientific and engineering plotting capabilities rival TeleGraph's, excelling it in some respects. It does not support plotters on its own, but it offers many levels of smoothing, line thicknesses (one can specify fractions of a point) and REAL dotted and dashed lines, which make the LaserWriter output publication-ready, unlike Cricket Graph's output. Text support is also good, with sub- and superscripts, automatic legend generation (in v1.1), and the ability to attach text to a point with an arrow. It also has powerful data analysis options, the author seems to have implemented all the special functions in Numerical Recipes in C. The other big plus is the generation of scripts, which is all automatic but can also be made or edited by hand. The same analysis can easily be applied to many sets of data simply by choosing a macro name, after the first set has been analysed. Furthermore, graph updating is _very_ fast. In short, this is the most powerful scientific graphing package I have yet seen on a micro. A caveat: Igor does not have the most intuitive user interface, a strong point with, say, Cricket Graph. The neophyte will have to do the examples in the book first, then start working on his/her own data. It is more important than ever to RTFM. A note about the macros: they are really powerful. It is the first general package I saw doing ternary diagrams, or loading annotations for points with the raw data. A big plus is that it can load Cricket Graph data files directly. In fact, the author has included interfaces so that one can program one's own functions and call them from within the program. These comments are extremely biased because I am a very satisfied user of Igor. ------------------- W. Simon Tortike, | tel : 403/492-3338 Dept of Mining, Metallurgical | fax : 403/492-7219 and Petroleum Engineering, | CDNnet : simon@cs.UAlberta.CA University of Alberta, | uucp : simon@alberta.uucp Edmonton, AB, CANADA T6G 2G6. |
jim@qtc.UUCP (Jim Prouty) (12/12/89)
In article <7413@cbnewsm.ATT.COM> wtj@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (william.t.jones,rd,) writes: >>Does anyone have any recommendations for scientific graphing packages?? >>I am currently using Cricket Graph, but it is starting to show it's age >>*badly* !! :-( > >I can recommend KaleidaGraph 2.0 from Synergy Software (215-779-0522). >We use it extensively here and are extremely happy with it. >... >Bill Jones >att!mhuxu!wtj [I tried to reply to the original poster, brucem@merlin.MIT.EDU, but my mail bounced.] Also check out Igor, a graphics program from WaveMetrics for the Mac, which is specifically research-oriented and provides publication-quality graphs. MacWeek favorably reviewed Igor in their April 18, 1989 and July 11, 1989 issues. WaveMetrics recently released version 1.1 that added capabilities not covered in the reviews. Here are some unique features of Igor. - It is FAST. Graphs are updated almost instantly. - Number and length of data sets are limited only by available memory. - Each variable and data array can individually be single or double precision, real or complex. - Imports data via text files or via the clipboard. You can also synthesize data using mathematical expressions. - Graphs can contain any number of data sets, each with it's own color and line style (including true dashed lines). - Graphs print at the highest available resolution of your printer. - You can print multiple graphs per page, overlay graphs and print poster-sized graphs. - Supports linear, log/log and semilog graphs with up to four axes per graph. - Labels and annotation can use sub/superscripts and any combination of fonts, sizes and styles. - Data analyses include: + Manipulation of data with straightforward mathematical expressions which can draw upon more than 80 functions. + Linear curve fitting to lines & polynomials; non-linear fits to sines, exponentials, double exponentials, Gaussians and Lorentzians. Igor can automatically provide initial coefficients for the non-linear fits. + FFTs and IFFTs on real and complex data. + Smoothing. + Histogram generation. + Integration and differentiation. + Descriptive statistics. + Searching and sorting. + Very powerful and flexible waveform arithmetic. - All operations can be invoked from dialogs, from structured macros or from a command line. You can write a simple macro to load your data from a file, make a graph with styles of your choice and print the graph. Igor runs on a Mac Plus, SE, II or IIx. It requires a minimum of two floppy drives and 600K of available memory. It supports the 68881 math coprocessor, color, large screens and multiple screens. Igor is available immediately from WaveMetrics. The single quantity price is $195 plus shipping. Quantity discounts and site licenses are available. For more information contact: WaveMetrics P.O. Box 2088 Lake Oswego, OR 97035 (503) 635-8849 AppleLink D1832 Disclaimer: My only connection with WaveMetrics is that some friends of mine work there and I have a copy of Igor. QTC has absolutely no connections with WaveMetrics, that I know of. Jim Prouty Quantitative Technology Corporation "A man is not the sum of his possessions." 8700 SW Creekside Place Beaverton, Oregon 97005 (503)-626-3081 tektronix!sequent!qtc!jim