Simplot graphics editing options Simplot graphics editing options Important information about Simfit

This help section is just a short collection of tips to remind you of some techniques provided by Simfit.

Note: hovering the mouse over any button on a graph explains
what the button does. Also a right mouse click on any plot
activates a pop-up menu with extensive plotting information.

  1. Moving from simple graphics to advanced graphics

    You can do limited editing in simple graphics, but choosing [Advanced] gives you the option to save copies of the coordinates just displayed or transferring to advanced graphics.
  2. 2D Metafiles

    Advanced graphics allows the sculpturing of a finished-product graph but, when you exit from advanced graphics without saving hardcopy all editing will be lost.
    So, in order to save a plot at an intermediate or final stage in order to resume editing later, you should choose the [Config] option and Save As ... a Simfit metafile.
    At any stage you can then open program Simplot and read the metafile back in to resume editing.
  3. Tutorials and worked examples

    In addition to the comprehensive Simfit reference manual

    w_manual.pdf

    there are numerous tutorials available from the Simfit website

    https://simfit.org.uk

    and from the Simfit main menu.
    Each is a small PDF document that you can download and print.
    These cover every aspect of Simfit functionality and graph editing with illustrative plots but there is also a collected set

    w_examples.pdf

    with Contents, Index, and Hyperlinks.
  4. Interface to Wordprocessors, spreadsheets, and document preparation programs

    Every time you analyse data using Simfit the results are written to a log file.
    The latest 100 of these are saved and can be accessed from the [Results] option for saving, editing or extracting tables to import into documents.
    The options available for interacting in this way with word processing and spreadsheet programs are described in the document

     ms_office.pdf

    Usually it is only required to extract tables of results from these saved files to include in documents. Such tables can be extracted with columns correctly lined up, and with exponential number formatting replaced by floating number format if required, in such formats as tab-separated (for spread sheets or word processors) or LaTeX (for scientific documents). This is described in the tutorial document

    extracting_tables_from_simfit_results_files.pdf.

Return to help menu The advanced 2D graphics buttons

Note: hovering the mouse over any button on a graph explains
what the button does. Also a right mouse click on any plot
activates a pop-up menu with extensive plotting information.

The Simfit advanced 2D graphics page has two columns of buttons, one on either side of the graphical display.

First this must be explained.

The left hand column of buttons

These allow users to perform the normal types of graphical editing such as:

Operations like these do not allow the moving of graphical objects to new positions.

The right hand column of buttons

These allow user to create, edit, and move items displayed in the graph that can be moved arbitrarily such as:

  • Extra text labels
  • Extra plotting symbols
  • Arrows to indicate special features
  • Rectangular boxes to surround extra text
  • Information panels describing the objects plotted

This involves a process similar to drag and drop where an item is defined and can then be moved to an arbitrary position using the red arrow.

The right hand column of buttons must be used carefully and they will require practise in order to be successful.

This procedure, using the read arrow, is described next.

Return to help menu The Red Arrow

The red arrow in advanced graphics creates a hot spot to allow drag and drop for those objects that are free to be moved around the graph.

First this must be explained.

There are only three types of objects in a Simfit advanced graph.

  1. Objects that can never be moved.

    Data points and best-fit lines and curves obviously cannot be moved because to do so would be dishonest.
  2. Objects that can be moved to a limited extent.

    It is sometimes useful to move the title or legends to improve readability but this does not use the red arrow.
    It requires information about the coordinate shifts required to be input numerically from the appropriate option.
  3. Objects that can be moved at will.

    Additional text, arrows-labels-boxes, information panels, and selected graphical objects can be added to clarify the meaning of a graph.
    These can be moved to any selected position.

    There are three steps that must be followed in sequence in order use the red arrow.

    1. Select the type of object to be moved.

      This is done using the button indicated as follows.
      • [Text] A simple text string.
        After selecting this button you create the text string required together with the font, size, colour, and orientation.
      • [A/L/B] An arrow, line, or box.
        After selecting this button you choose the type of arrow, line, hook, or box required.
        Note that, for these items, you have to specify two hot-spots, one for the head and one for the tail.
        With rectangles these would be the lower and upper opposing corners.
      • [Object] A plotting symbol.
        A selection of possible addional graphical objects is provided and you simply specify the size and colour.
      • [Panel] This would refer to a moveable side information panel.
        The fixed panel at the bottom of the graph cannot be moved.
    2. Edit the objects selected.

      The red arrow only works on the current selected item. So editing should be done on one item at a time coupled with regular checking to make sure it is behaving correctly.
      Note that, with some objects such as arrows, the selected item can be placed under the data plotted or above the data plotted.
    3. Move the red arrow to the hot spot required.

      Once the item has been edited and moved to the hot spot by selecting the move button (under the corresponding item define/edit button) it is best to disconnect it, say by choosing a new item, so it will not be accidentally moved.
      Note that, if high-quality PostScript hardcopy is required, it is useful to display the graph in PostScript because PostScript fonts may not be identical in size to the Windows fonts plotted in the bit-map display.

    Return to help menu Coordinate files, project archives and library files

    In order to create a graph you must have ASCII text files with coordinates to be plotted, or data ready to be copied in from the clipboard.

    You first read a set of files into SIMPLOT which then creates a default graph. Then, after changing details,such as: the title, legends, plotting symbols, graph shape, colours, arrows, extra labels, tick markings, frames, border, coordinate transformations, etc., you drive a printer or create a graphics file to archive or include in a document.

    For instance, if you are curve-fitting you will have a curve-fit file, to be plotted as symbols (circles, triangles, squares, etc.) but you should also have saved to file the best-fit curve from fitting to plot as a continuous curve. A general rule is that data that are to be shown as symbols are curve-fit files from MAKFIL, while data to be shown as continuous curves are saved as ASCII text files from the appropriate fitting program.

    To get the hang of things practise by reading in simplot.tf1, simplot.tf2 and simplot.tf3 then manipulating the resulting graph. It is tedious to select individual files, so you can collect all the file names into a project archive or library file. To understand this procedure, examine the library file simfig1.tfl, then plot using SIMPLOT. The configuration file w_simfig1.cfg can be used to configure the default graph created from simfig1.tfl.

    Note that sometimes you will want to quit editing a graph temporarily and wish to return later to resume editing. To do this you save a SIMFIT metafile. This is a file containing all the data and editing to date, and by reading such a file into program SIMPLOT you can take over from where you left off.

    Return to help menu Plotting error bars in y = f(x) graphs

    Error bars are added to graphs to indicate some estimate of the uncertainty of the mean. It is always more informative to show all the data so observers can form their own independent visual estimate and error bars are often used dishonestly, to convey a better impression of the quality of the data than is justified.

    In SIMFIT you never make files with means, you always fit or analyse replicates. If you supply replicates (x in increasing order) SIMPLOT can create error bars on demand. Otherwise read a curve fitting file with all the replicates into EDITFL and request the option to put into order and make an error bar file with sample means and confidence limits for program SIMPLOT. It is up to you to decide whether to set the error bars at 95%, or 99% con. lim. on the mean, or whether to use 1,2 or some other multiple of the st. dev., or std. error of the mean. Files with 2 or 3 columns plot as symbols or lines, 4 column files plot as (x,yle,y,yhe) error bars, while 6 columns (xle,x,xhe,yle,y,yhe) plot slanted error bars. Make error bar files with MAKMAT or, in the special case of dichotomous data, you can create non- central error bar files using program BINOMIAL.

    Return to help menu Plotting-symbols and line-types

    Whether you read in files individually or use a library file to get your data into SIMPLOT, there is a natural order in that the order of the files is the same as the order in which your data gets plotted.

    Program SIMPLOT tries to guess your intentions in the following sense. If there are only a few points it will be presumed that symbols are to be plotted, otherwise a line will join the points up. You can over-ride this default at any stage you wish. You can select symbols (circles, triangles, squares, diamonds, etc.) or lines (solid, dashed, dotted, dash-dot,etc.) or symbols and lines, and you can have lower-, upper-, or both error bars. All you have to do is to know the order of the data files and select accordingly. Special plot symbols are: bars to make bar charts, or stair-step lines for, e.g. a survival curve. Symbols and lines can be edited individually for size or colour and you can use the PostScript menu for global changes.

    Note that to set defaults for colours, plot-symbols and line-types you use the configuration option, but such defaults are always overwritten if you read in a graphics configuration file.

    Return to help menu Transformation of (x,y) coordinates

    There is no need to transform your data into reciprocals, logs, etc. before plotting. Just read in the original coordinates and they, and any error bars,will be appropriately transformed into double-reciprocal, Scatchard, Hill, semi-log plots, etc. simply by choosing from a menu.

    Transforming the graph shapes

    The default shape reserves space for a title, x- and y-legends, and notation of axes, then it will fill up as much of the space remaining with the data to be plotted. If you replace the title with a blank character this will leave space, but if you decide to suppress the title then the plot will be expanded to fill up the area released. Note that the legends are always centered on the data but the title can be centered in the graph range or it can be positioned over the data plotted. You can make the plot horizontal to use as much space as possible, it can be square, e.g. for plotting correlations, or it can be vertical. It will be moved left if a vertical information panel is requested, but otherwise it can be clipped to 3:4, 1:1, 4:3, or 1:2.

    Return to help menu Information panels

    You can request an extra panel to be created to identify symbol and line types plotted. Display a panel and edit keys or labels as necessary. Note that if the panel is vertical it can be dragged about into an appropriate position although the best way to get the panel clear of data is to select square or vertical format.

    Extra text

    You can place extra text of variable size, font, colour, angle of rotation, anywhere on the graph. This is particularly useful if you want to discard the plot title or an axis legend to make special titles or extra legends. To blank out titles or legends just edit and replace with blank text strings. To create extra text you type in the new characters then edit for subscripts, maths, Greek, etc.

    Arrows (also lines and boxes which are special arrow types)

    Arrows can be selected individually in the same way as text is. You can alter the position, size, colour, type, etc. to order. To move text and arrows anywhere on the plot you set a current position by icon dragging, then move the text or arrow to the icon position. Titles and legends cannot be moved this way. However to generate titles and legends that can be moved about, simply replace the existing title or legend by a blank character string and replace it by a moveable one.

    Return to help menu Double plots

    Here the idea is that some y-coordinates refer to the left hand y-axis, while some refer to the right-hand y-axis. An important difference is that some transformations of coordinates are not possible since with two scales they would be ambigous, and some space transformations are not allowed because of the additional area required for annotation of the right-hand axis.

    Which data is left-hand and which is right-hand ?

    In two plot mode you read in individual ASCII coordinate files and after inputting each file you indicate if the data accepted is for left-hand or right-hand plotting. If you make a mistake and no data is declared for one of the y-axes, the program will warn you then revert to one-plot mode.

    Test files

    Appropriate test files are plot2.tf1, plot2.tf2 and plot2.tf3.

    Return to help menu Histograms

    A histogram has bins (at equal intervals) along the x-axis with nonnegative frequencies on the y-axis. To make a histogram you prepare a vector of values using MAKMAT then use SIMSTAT in the exhaustive-analysis-of-a-sample mode to order the data and make bins for the class intervals selected. Read normal.tf1 into the program SIMSTAT to get the idea. Then read the ASCII coordinate file saved from the plot displayed by SIMSTAT into the usual xy plotting option of this program and plot like a normal graph.

    Simple Pie Charts

    These can be constructed from a column vector with values that are proportional to the segment size intended.

    Simple Bar Charts

    You will usually have a matrix with m rows and n columns where the intention is to have m groups of bars with n bars in each group. If you input a matrix file (or spreadsheet using the clipboard) this program will create an advanced barchart file for you with a default label for each group. The temporary file can then be edited until the desired plot is created and saved for future use if appropriate.

    Return to help menu Advanced Charts

    Advanced barchart and piechart files have all the information required to specify the position, size, fill-style, colour and label for each bar or segment.

    Test Files

    To get the idea just read in the test files piechart.tf?. Of course you will have to browse the test files, and read the w_readme.* files to find out how to control colours, offsets, fill style, labels and so on.

    Labels with Bar Charts and Pie Charts

    With bar and pie charts you can add labels onto the end of the data file, or you can set them individually. Information Panels and Keys in Bar charts and Pie Charts Pie charts and bar charts can have information panels just like normal plots. When data are input, information panels are given default values. You can over-ride these by deciding just which keys and labels to display and what symbols to show. If you run with subsequent data sets, the new settings are retained. Note that lines can be overlayed on bar charts as will be clear from plotting barchart.tf6 and barchart.tf7 on the same graph.

    Return to help menu Vector field diagrams and orbits

    This option allows you to plot a field of arrows with overlayed orbits if required to show the direction of flow of a vector field, a differential equation phase portrait for instance.

    Test Files

    To get the idea just read in the test file vfield.tf1. This was created using program DEQSOL to calculate the arrows for a phase portrait with the Lotka-Volterra plane autonomous system.

    Format for a vector field file

    Such files have four columns: x1, x2, y1 and y2 where (x1,y1) is the head position and (x2,y2) is the tail position for an arrow indicating direction. In the case of a plane autonomous system, like dy(1)dx = F(1) and dy(2)dx = F(2), the direction of the arrows is tan(theta) = F(1)F(2) where the arrow changes to a cross at singular points. You can change the colour and head size for the arrows and you can plot other lines as well, which is particularly valuable if you want to add orbits to the diagram and use vector line types. SIMPLOT does not check for constant arrow length so you can make arbitrary flow diagrams.

    Return to help menu Surfaces, Contours and 3D Bar Charts

    This program can accept a file with data for z = f(x,y) then create a wire-frame-type surface plot. Various options then can be invoked to rotate the plot, change the colour scheme, construct contours, plot the surface and contours on the same graph, display the data as a 3D Bar Chart and so on.

    Test files

    You can input vector files like surface.tf1, or matrix files like matrix.tf1.

    Plotting your own data

    For 3-D barcharts create a n by m matrix with z-values, i.e. n x-values and m y-values. To plot z = f(x,y) mathematical models prepare a model file using the program USERMOD. This file can then be used by program MAKDAT to calculate z = f(x,y) and make a plot that you can write to file for use by this program. The file contains information on the data and function ranges, the number of equally spaced divisions and function values.

    Return to help menu 3D Curves in space

    You can plot parameterised curves directly or input data where coordinates are parameterised, say as functions of t, as in x = x(t), y = y(t) and z = z(t) and you wish to show such curves in space.

    To do this you simply require files with three columns, namely x, y and z, since for the plot to make sense all values of t have to be identically spaced in the various curves. Ideally t should be in equally spaced intervals.

    Test files

    Practise with the test files spiral.tf1 and spiral.tf2 then use the library file spiral.tfl to see how to access data sets.

    Plotting projections

    To plot a projection onto a plane just make a file of projected coordinates, e.g. z = 0 to project onto the x,y plane.

    Return to help menu Global and local line thickness

    To set the global line thickness, choose the [PS] or [Win] option and input the thickness required. This would normally be 1 (or 2 for high resolution screens, or for making slides) and excessive values will be re-set by w_simfit.exe (or x64_simfit.exe) when used in configuration checking mode. Changes in local relative line thickness can also be made to emphasize different line types. Note that the global line thicknesses for Windows graphics and PostScript graphics are independent.

    Global font type and size and local fonts

    From the [PS] or [Win] options you can also select the global font and size. Normally you would choose Helvetica at size 1 (or Helvetica Bold at size 1.25 for making slides). Note that the TrueType monitor display is only an approximation to the PostScript, so always check using the SIMFIT *.eps view option. Excessive font sizes are re-set using w_simfit.exe (or x64_simfit.exe) in configuration checking mode and on re-initialisation.

    Using the [PS] or [Win] options to change font size makes a global setting for all the font sizes except those selected by the [Text] option, and this is not what is usually required. So, to make changes that apply to only selected fonts on the display, it is best to change the fonts required. This can be done using the [Titles], [Legends], [Labels], or [Panel] options. For instance, if graphs tend to have more than say 4 or 5 divisions on the X or Y axis it would be convenient to choose the [Labels] option and reduce the font size to 0.8 for the X-axis and/or Y-axis numbers to avoid adjacent numbers overlapping or extending down to overlap the X-legend if rotated fonts are used. Changes to font types and sizes will persist until re-set.

    The character display index

    The way that Simfit deals with fonts as regards accents and maths symbols is to save a character display index to interpret the appearance of each character as it is displayed or printed. Details of how this is done will now be explained. However, note that it is not necessary for inexperienced users to understand such details as there is an option to select special characters from font maps. This procedure automatically chooses the special character and index for insertion or over-writing.

    Every string of characters has an associated index of keys that define how the character is to be printed. The scheme is:-

         0 = normal font, 1 = subscript,       2 = superscript
         3 = Greek font,  4 = Greek subscript, 5 = Greek superscript
         6 = Bold Greek
         
    and so on.

    When you input a new text string it is given an index of 0, but you can then edit the keys to create special effects. Note that characters (in the ASCII printing set) outside the alphabet are mapped to symbols with keys 3, 4, 5 and 6, so that you can use degrees-centigrade, multiplication-sign, integral, infinity, etc.

    Accents

    If you want grave, acute, circumflex, tilde or macronoverline, these accents can be placed over the normal character according to the scheme:-

         A = grave, B = acute,  C = cicumflex,
         D = tilde, E = macron, F = dieresis.
         
    The keys F, G, H, I and J can be used to put hats (circumflex) or bars (macron) on Greek or bold Greek characters as will be clear from the display from the advanced editing option which is provided when graphical test strings are edited.

    Special PostScript features

    Not only does PostScript give the highest quality hardcopy and greatest versatility for inclusion in documents (as EPS files), it also opens up the way to archive plots for editing or making into collages using EDITPS. The combination of ASCII coordinate files with SIMLOT and EDITPS provides enormous scope for graphs but also allows numerous other powerful possibilities.

    1. The SIMPLOT EPS files are written in a special format so you can easily edit them ( EMACS, Edit, Windows-Notepad, etc. ) if you want to change size, shape, fonts, text, orientation, line thickness, plotting symbols, error bars, etc.
    2. You can use key 7 to introduce ZapfDingbats symbols (arrows, scissors, pointing hands, bullets, etc.)
    3. You can use key 8 to introduce ISOLatin1 Encoding which lets you use all the European special characters (ccedilla, etc.)
    4. You can use octal code to introduce all of the characters in your current font (upside down question marks, etc.)
    5. You can use key 9 to introduce your own specially defined PS exotic font or special graphical effect (shading, etc.)
    These features are all described in the w_readme.* files and the reference manual.

    Return to help menu Hardcopy

    This program supports bitmap and vector graphics. You can drive PostScript printers directly, using temporary PostScript files, or drive non-PostScript printers using high resolution internal bitmaps. You can copy enhanced metafiles to clipboard or save as .emf files, which can be used by all Windows programs. You can also save bitmaps as .bmp files or as compressed bitmaps (.png, .jpg) but, although bitmap format is very convenient, the resulting files are large and of poor resolution. Never save SIMFIT graphics in bitmap format, since most of the file will be pixels of background colour, use .png or .emf files.

    PostScript

    SIMFIT PostScript files should be used for the highest possible versatility and publication quality plots. If you do not have a PS printer you can still save .eps files to make collages or transform into .png, .svg, or .pdf, etc. PS Graphics files can be copied to a PS printer using a Postscript viewer such as GSview or, by using the SIMFIT advanced graphics [EPS] option. Note that program EDITPS allows you to edit, or make collages.

    Return to help menu Editing and moving graphical objects

    A graphical object is any object that has an arbitrary content and position and can thus be edited, moved about or suppressed without limitation. The title, legends, plotted data points, error bars, best-fit curves and so on can be edited and scaled to a certain extent but, as the positions and meaning represent physical reality, they can not be altered arbitrarily.

    Typical graphical objects

    Examples of graphical objects would be extra text, arrows, plot symbols, labels, bit-maps, icons, graphic files (bmp, eps, gif, eps, etc.). These might be added to a plot to identify the data or create a smaller subplot, say the main plot transformed into alternative axes, so their position is arbitrary.

    Editing and moving the objects

    First the main graph is created and then an object is selected and edited. This could involve changing the colour or size of the object, or perhaps altering the text, font or the angle of rotation of a text string. Then the plot icon is dragged and dropped to the coordinates required for the current position and the selected object is moved to this position.

    Return to help menu Suppressing the title

    If you replace the title by a blank string, a space will be left where you can place extra text strings to create a title you can drag and drop. This is useful if a special two or three line title is required, but if you choose to suppress the title from the menu, the plot will expand to use up the extra space. This is the way to maximise the overall plotting area.

    Suppressing labels

    The general principle is that if you replace any text string by blanks, the label or side panel containing the item will not be plotted. However it is often useful to toggle labels between on and off states, and this facility is provided in case you want to create your own plotting labels, e.g. as in bar charts.

    Blanking out parts of a graph

    If you want to place a mathematical formulae, text string or chemical structure on a plot, it may be necessary to blank out regions under the formula, say where curves would obscure the meaning. To do this, place an opaque rectangle or circle object on the unwanted part of the plot, then change the colour to the background colour, e.g. for a three line plot title, etc.

    Return to help menu Numerical editing (Note: Original files are not altered)

    When you select the Data option you are allowed to edit a data file to change coordinates. This is very useful for altering the position of a point, moving error bars, suppressing data and so on. It is particularly useful for sliding bar chart bars along the x-axis to re-arrange the layout of an advanced bar chart interactively, but you must realise what the columns are.

    Normal x,y plotting files
    Column 1 = x, Column 2 = y, Column 3 (if present) is ignored

    Error bar files
    Column 1 = x, Column 2 = lower y-error bar, Column 3 = mean-y, Column 4 = upper y-error bar

    Pie chart files
    Column 1 = the number in that category. Leave the other values unless you understand pie chart format (e.g. see piechart.tf1)

    Bar chart files
    Column 1 = the x-position for the bar and label. The next are low-error-bar, bottom, middle, top, upper-error-bar,fill-style, width and colour as described in the w_readme files (e.g. see see barchart.tf1) but you would do well to leave these alone.

    Return to help menu Typing in data

    If you have not prepared data files for plotting, program SIMPLOT allows you to type data in directly to create a simple (x,y) plot, an error bar plot, a piechart or a barchart. The idea is to create a temporary file which you can then plot and edit until the plot is as required. When you are satisfied with the plot you should save the temporary file, otherwise it may be deleted subsequently. Note that the button marked [Data] can be used to change plotting symbols and line types as well as changing data values and saving the temporary file, as you develop the plot after typing in the initial data values.

    Limitations

    If you use program SIMPLOT to type in data you can only plot one graph at a time so, if you want to overlay several data sets, you type in the separate data sets, save the temporary files then create the overlay as usual. Note that you will find it easier to make vector files for piecharts and matrix files for barcharts with program MAKMAT than by using this program.

    Return to help menu Using data from the clipboard instead of from a file

    If you want to use data from a spreadsheet instead of from a file you simply select the rows and columns required and copy to the clipboard. When you are asked to input a data file you paste from the clipboard and a temporary file will be created. If your spreadsheet data has been formatted correctly all will be well and you can use the [Data] option to save the data to a file for re-use in making overlays. Obviously errors will be generated if the spreadsheet data are not formatted correctly.

    Return to help menu Colours

    There is a palette of 72 colours from which you select a colour for each type of graphical object. The first 16 colours are the standard VGA colours, the next 48 are variants of the standard VGA colours including an enlarged grey scale. These 60 colours should not be changed. Colours 61 to 72 can be defined by users by altering the red, green, blue proportions. Note that 64 of the default colours are derived from the combinations possible from a 4-point division of red, green, and blue components.

    Background, border and graticule.

    The background colour is applied to the whole plotting area but a different colour can be used for the area bordering the plot. A graticule can plotted over the background but this will only be visible if a different colour is selected. The graticule is normally used only for the fine positioning of text strings or arrows and is suppressed before hard copy is made. To colour individual data sets, the corresponding file is selected.

    Return to help menu Configuring colours, lines and symbols

    Each time this program creates a graph from the data you supply it takes the colours, line-types and symbol-types from a file (w_simfit.sym) which you can configure interactively. Once the default graph has been displayed you can, of course, choose any colours and symbols but, if you use a particular set of values, it is more convenient to configure. Note that small data sets (< 60) will have symbols only, while large data sets (> 59) will have lines only by default.

    Configuring bars, segments and labels

    The default fill styles, labels and colours for piecharts made from vectors or barcharts made from matrices will be taken from a file (w_simfit.lab) which you can configure interactively.

    Using configuration files to over-ride defaults Note that parameters read in from graphics configuration files or advanced pie and bar charts will over-ride the defaults.

    Return to help menu