PLOTMTV(L) PLOTMTV(L)
March 17, 1993
NAME
plotmtv - fast multi-purpose plotting program for X11-windows
SYNOPSIS
plotmtv [-Pprinter]
[-3d] [-colorps] [-debug] [-landscape] [-nodate] [-noxplot] [-o
postscript-file] [-plotall] [-print] [-printcmd print_command]
[-scale scale] [-verbose]
[-pbg background_color] [-pfg foreground_color]
[-<X11 options>]
data-file1 data-file2 ...
DESCRIPTION
PLOTMTV is a fast and convenient X11 program for visualization of
scientific data. The program reads in data in the MTVDAT format and
plots each dataset in the data-file in turn. Each plot comes with a
simple but functional Graphical User Interface, which allows users to
zoom in or pan to areas of interest on the plot, or to toggle between
2D and 3D plots. The plots may then be sent directly to a grayscale or
color PostScript printer for hard-copy output. PLOTMTV's capabilities
include 2D line and scatter plots (x-vs-y), contour plots, 3D surface,
line and scatter plots as well as vector plots. The Graphical User
Interface allows interactive zoom and pan, toggling between 2D and 3D
plots, rotating 3D plots, and some (limited) customization of the
resultant plots. Through the GUI, one can also print the plot using
the "Print" button, or save the Postscript plot to a file using the
"Print to File" button. The X11 plot in PLOTMTV can also be
controlled from the keyboard. Pressing the "Q" key is a fast way of
popping down the plot window. For the 3D plot, the viewing vector can
be changed using the "H", "J", "K", "L" and "O" keys on the the
keyboard; the plot on the screen can be rotated sideways using the "H"
or "L" keys, rotated up or down using the "J" and "K" keys, and drawn
with the original viewing vector using "O". The "A", "S", "D" and "F"
keys will produce 90o rotations. "Z" will plot the image projected on
the x-y plane (z=constant), "Y" will plot the image projected on the
x-z plane (y=constant), and "X" will plot the image projected on the
y-z plane (x=constant).
DATA FORMAT
PLOTMTV uses the MTVDAT data format, which is too long to describe in
this document. The data format is described fully in The MTV Plot Data
Format document.
OPTIONS
-Pprinter
Specifies the printer to which to send the PostScript plot. The
default uses the printer name from the environment variable
$PRINTER.
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PLOTMTV(L) PLOTMTV(L)
March 17, 1993
Note: PLOTMTV will send a PostScript file to the specified
printer only if the size of the file is less than 1000Kbytes.
This maximum file size is due to the limitations of the UNIX
lpr(1) command.
-3d Plots in 3D instead of the default 2D.
-colorps
Instructs the PostScript renderer to include colors in the
PostScript description of the plot. By default, PLOTMTV produces
gray-scale PostScript plots. The color PostScript file produced
with this option may be printed out on a color PostScript
printer. Be aware however that the same file will not print out
correctly on a black-and-white PostScript printer. The color
PostScript mode may also be set by setting the $MTV_PSCOLOR
environment variable, i.e. "setenv MTV_PSCOLOR ON".
-debug
Makes PLOTMTV extremely loquacious.
-landscape
Prints the postscript plot in landscape mode (rotated).
-nodate
Prints the postscript plot without a time/date stamp.
-noxplot
Stops the program from starting up the X11 graphics routines.
The normal mode of operation is start up PLOTMTV from an X-
terminal or X-display and interact with the graphics using the
Graphical User Interface. However, the "noxplot" option is also
provided to allow the plots to be directly drawn in PostScript,
thus bypassing the X11 plotting routines. This is particularly
useful for batch-mode operation, where multiple plots can be sent
to a printer without user intervention.
-plotall
Plots all the datasets found in a single plot. Useful for
combining data from different files.
-print
Sends the POSTSCRIPT plot to the printer automatically. Usually
this is used together with the "-noxplot" option to produce
PostScript plots in batch, i.e. "plotmtv -noxplot -print
datafile".
-printcmd print_command
Specifies the print_command to be executed in sending a
PostScript plot to the printer. The default is the UNIX "lpr -h"
command.
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PLOTMTV(L) PLOTMTV(L)
March 17, 1993
-scale scale
Sets a plot scale factor. This is used only for POSTSCRIPT
plotting.
-v Makes PLOTMTV more talkative.
-pfg foreground_color
-pbg background_color
Sets the foreground and background colors in the PLOTMTV X11 Plot
Window.
-display host:display.screen
Opens a window on the given host and display
-iconic
-geom geometry
-rv
-bw border-width
-bd border-color
-fg foreground-color
-bg background-color
-fn font-name
Sets input options for the X-window system.
data-file1 data-file2...
Specifies the MTVDAT data-file(s).
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
PRINTER printer name for hardcopy (e.g. "hpps")
MTV_PRINTER_CMD name of the UNIX print command (e.g. "lpr -h")
MTV_PSCOLOR for color PostScript (e.g. "ON")
HISTORY
PLOTMTV is based on the DRAWPLOT, CONTOUR and PDRAW programs from U.C.
Berkeley (yes, I'm responsible for those too!). PLOTMTV essentially
combines all the capabilities of the three packages into one single
package.
BUGS/LIMITATIONS
The GUI is very limited. The 3D viewing stuff is quite limited too;
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PLOTMTV(L) PLOTMTV(L)
March 17, 1993
hidden-surface removal is implemented as a simple painter's algorithm,
so large 3D polygons don't get plotted (with hidden-surfaces)
correctly. Also there are no perspective plots yet...
AUTHOR
Kenny K.H. Toh (ktoh@td2cad.intel.com)
FILES
dataplot.ps default PostScript file
SEE ALSO
The MTV Plot Data Format
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Ralf Schwedler