[comp.sys.sun] plotting software -- PD at that!

pvo3366@oce.orst.edu (Paul O'Neill) (10/01/89)

>   I've seen advertisements in "SunTechnology" that TempleGraph (~$1290) can
>   do this, but would like comments on this product from users of
>   TempleGraph.

Try this, I sure like it:

|From: pturner@ogccse.ogc.edu (Paul Turner)
|Subject: Announcing grtool - a data/function plotter for Sun's under 4.0+
|Date: 16 Sep 89 06:03:31 GMT
|
|Announcing the availability of grtool, a data/function plotting program
|for Sun's running SunOS 4.0. I'm calling this release a Beta test.
|
|Features:
|
|       o Linear and polynomial regression
|       o Running averages
|       o Histograms
|       o Numerical integration and differentiation
|       o Fourier spectrum (DFT by FFT or by definition)
|       o Auto and cross correlation
|       o Transformations  *,/,-,+,^, +built in functions & constants
|         (using this and linear regression gives exponential and power
|          fits). Uses a yacc grammer. Like y=(x+1)*cos(2*PI*x/10)+1
|       o Labels (x-axis, y-axis, title, subtitle)
|       o Legends - placed anywhere on plot
|       o Strings, rotated, sized (but not typed on the canvas).
|         Subscripts, superscripts, and special symbols (I used
|         the Hershey fonts).
|       o Boxes and lines
|       o Parameter files for saving a given plot setup
|       o Batch mode for unattended plots
|       o 15 sets, size limited by memory - easy to add more,
|         15 is about all I've ever needed.
|       o Linear, log-linear, linear-log, log-log plots
|       o Many symbols, grid lines, spikes for spectral plots
|         Sets can have both symbols and linestyles.
|       o Linestyles, and thickness (in lieu of color).
|       o Adjustable tick mark density, inward or outward pointing.
|       o Autoscale
|       o Flip x <-> y
|       o Locate, delete individual points 
|       o Set world and viewport
|       o Pan and zoom
|       o Can use mouse to set viewport
|       o Locator (reports mouse position in world coordinates)
|       o Reads ASCII data -  X Y  1 point per line,     
|         X Y1 Y2 ..., and from pipes.
|       o reports Mean, std. dev., min, max of each set
|       o Error bars, equal or unequal, one or two sided, along X or Y
|         (max 7 sets with error bars).
|
|Hardcopy support is HPGL and PostScript. There is a hack for HP laserjets
|using rasterfiles. Grtool is quite capable of producing (and has produced
|many) publication quality graphs (which isn't saying much, I know).
|
|Thanx to Jim Hudgens for the PostScript driver.
|
|In all modesty, I believe grtool to be nearly as functional as TempleGraph
|and with the inclusion of source code perhaps more so. Grtool has a distinct
|price advantage.
|
|Grtool may be acquired via anonymous ftp from cse.ogc.edu [129.95.40.2] in 
|pub/grtool/grtool.tar.Z (set type binary). If you don't have Internet
|access I'd be happy to send a shar archive, tapes for hardship cases only
|please.
|
|I call this version V1.0 Beta test, it will not run under SunOS 3.5 or less.
|Comments regarding this program would be appreciated.
|
|Paul J. Turner		     
|Department of Environmental Science and Engineering
|Oregon Graduate Center
|19600 NW von Neumann Dr.
|Beaverton, OR  97006-1999
|pturner@ese.ogc.edu 
|(503) 690-1043  	     
|
|tektronix!ogccse!pturner
|pturner@cse.ogc.edu

Paul O'Neill                 pvo@oce.orst.edu
Coastal Imaging Lab
OSU--Oceanography
Corvallis, OR  97331         503-737-3251