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CGPLT.DOC
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1987-05-17
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CGPLT
COLOR GRAPHICS PLOTTER
VERSION 3.00
USER's GUIDE
Steven Murphy
4784 Bermuda Ave #H
San Diego, CA 92107 - 3862
UPDATE INFORMATION
Version 3.00 has many improvements over the 2.XX versions.
Most notably is the addition of Bar Graphs. The speed at which
it runs has also been increased and two more point indicators
have been added. As for input files and saved screen plot there
are no incompatibilities between older versions and version 3.00.
Things for the future (if there is enough interest) include:
log scales and hopefully a printer driver.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
User Supported Software ............................... iv
System Requirements ................................... 1
Backing up CGPLT ....................................... 1
Getting Started ....................................... 1
Hard Copies ........................................... 2
F1 ................................................... 2
Alt - A ............................................... 2
Alt - C ............................................... 2
Alt - E ............................................... 2
Zooming ............................................... 3
Limitations of CGPLT ................................... 3
Some General Hints .................................... 4
Let's do an Example ................................... 5
One Catch ............................................ 7
Disclaimer ............................................. 8
Copy Permission ........................................ 8
Update Info ............................................ 8
iii
User-Supported Software
You're encouraged to copy and share this diskette with others.
If after evaluating this program you find it to be useful,
a $5.00 -> $10.00 donation to:
S. Murphy
4784 Bermuda Ave. #H
San Diego, CA 92107 - 3862
would be a nice gesture.
User-supported software is an experiment in distributing
computer programs, based on these beliefs:
I.
That the value and utility of software is best assessed
by the user on his/her own system.
II.
That the creation of personal computer software can and
should be supported by the computing community.
III.
That the copying of programs should be encouraged, rather
than restricted.
Anyone may legally obtain an evaluation copy of the program
from a friend or computer club. After you've had a chance to use
and evaluate the program in your own environment, you're trusted
to either forward a payment to the author, or to discontinue use
of the program. In either case, you are encouraged to let others
copy the program for evaluation.
Free distribution of software and voluntary payment for its
use, eliminates costs for advertising and copy protection
schemes. Users obtain quality software at greatly reduced cost.
They can try it out before buying, and do so at their own pace
and in the comfort of their own home or office. Naturally the
best programs will survive, based purely on their quality and
usefulness.
iv
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 1
CGPLT (Color Graphics Plotter)
REQUIREMENTS
This program requires 256k an a color graphics adapter. It
was written on an IBM compatible.
BACKUP
As with all software you should make a backup copy of it for
actual use and tuck the original away for safe keeping. My
suggestion for getting the most out of this program is to create
a disk with system on it (you can use the FORMAT /S command or
the SYS command). Then copy GRAPHICS.COM from your DOS disk to
the disk you just put system on. Now copy CGPLT.EXE to disk (to
do the examples copy CGPLT?.* and you will have all the files).
GETTING STARTED
The next step is to create some data for plotting. This
program was originally written to display the solution to
computer simulations. This is what is meant by have a program
generate the data file in method A. Plotting is also used for a
host of other things so method B is given as a quick and easy way
of entering data points. The two methods are described as
follows :
A] Have the program that is going to generate
the data points OPEN a sequential output file.
Then have the program write the X,Y points, with
one set to a line, to the file separating X & Y
with either a comma or several spaces.
B] Type " copy con: [d:][path] {filename.ext} <CR>
", you should now be on a blank line. Enter your
data points one set to a line, X Y, separating
them with a comma or blank spaces followed by a
<CR> (NOTE: Do Not use the <Tab> key to insert the
spaces). When they are all entered and you are on
the blank line just below your last point hold
down the <Ctrl> key and type " Z ". You should
see " ^Z ". Now type " <CR> ". The computer
should respond with " 1 File copied " followed by
the DOS prompt.
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 2
HARD COPIES
Now before you actually plot you should decide if you want a
hard copy or not. If you would like a hardcopy of the plot turn
on your printer and type GRAPHICS at the dos prompt, then hit
<CR>. This will allow you to do a screen dump by hitting SHIFT-
PRTSC after the plot is made.
If you just want to view the plot or to save the screen
image for future recall you don't have to bother with GRAPHICS.
Now your ready to start CGPLT. At the DOS prompt type CGPLT and
hit <CR> and you will see my opening message about User-Supported
Software. After you're done reading it just hit the space bar to
continue. The program will now ask you a series of questions
about how you want things plotted.
Once the plot is on the screen the following keys apply:
F1
F1 brings up a help screen that list the keys that are
active and gives you a reminder as to what the numbers mean when
you are choosing options for plotting a file.
Alt - A
If you decide you would like to change some thing in a plot
you just made type " <Alt>-<A>" this will put you back at the
Choose Data menu of the program so you can select a different set
of files to be plotted.
Alt - C
To change one or more of the files you are plotting or the
attributes they are plotted with use " <Alt>-<C> ". This puts
you in the Change Data menu which will let you change files,
replace files, or add files if you have less than five read in at
the moment.
Alt - E
If you would like to quit type " <Alt>-<E> " for Exit and
you should be back at the DOS prompt.
ZOOMING
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 3
The ability to input the axes limits allows the user to zoom
in or out on any given plot. Example: if after making a plot you
decide that only a certain part of the graph is what you are
truly interested in, look at the axes and determine the values
that the important part falls within. Now type Alt-A (for Again)
and select the same files you did last time only this time when
the prompt comes up for autoscale or user input limits, select
user input limits and enter the limits of interest. The plotting
time will be the same as before because CGPLT always plots all
the points (it clips what every falls out side the plotting
window) but now you will only see the part you were interested
in.
LIMITATIONS
Some notes on the limits of CGPLT.
1) CGPLT can plot up to 5 curves (bar or line or a mix of
both) on a single graph.
2) It will only read up to the first 500 points out of each
data file.
3) It will save created plots to disk in binary form for
faster recall.
4) The Y axis can be inverted but not the X axis.
5) If you try to temporarily SHELL to DOS and CGPLT can not
find COMMAND.COM you will get ERROR 05 and the program
will terminate.
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 4
SOME GENERAL HINTS
If you know you are going to have a file longer than
500 points make your program write it into several files
that are no more than 500 points long. This way you can
plot all the pieces on a single graph and have your
continuous curve up to 2,500 points long. If you
already have a file longer than 500 points you can
always use an editor to cut it into 500 point chunks for
plotting.
One point to consider is that the region for the
graph is approximately 519 pixels across so unless your
curve does a lot of vertical traveling you gain very
little additional accuracy for a lot more work by going
over 500 points per curve.
Bar graphs are even more limited than line plots.
In my testing of CGPLT it was found that if you go much
over 30 bars per graph it is hard to distinguish the
boundaries of any given bar because they become too
closely packed.
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 5
LET'S DO AN EXAMPLE
Included with CGPLT.EXE and CGPLT.DOC are CGPLT.DAT and
CGPLT2.DAT. These two files are used in the following example:
dos prompt> CGPLT <CR>
my opening statement
SPACEBAR
what keys are used by CGPLT
SPACEBAR
option menu
1 <CR>
color graphics plotting routine
CGPLT.DAT <CR> 1<CR> 0<CR>
<CR>
reading points
how many files to include in this plot
1<CR>
file number
1<CR>
axis scaling
2<CR>
y-axis label
Y | AXIS <CR>
x-axis label
X - AXIS <CR>
title label
CGPLT EXAMPLE <CR>
graph appears
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 6
ALT-C
which to change/replace
2<CR>
CGPLT2.DAT<CR> 4<CR> 0<CR>
reading points
change/replace another
N<CR>
how many files to include in this plot
1<CR>
file number
2<CR>
axis scaling
2<CR>
y-axis label
Y | AXIS <CR>
x-axis label
X - AXIS <CR>
title label
CGPLT EXAMPLE 2 <CR>
graph appears
ALT-E
you are now back at the dos prompt
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 7
ONE CATCH
I have done my best to test this program for bugs and have
not found any so far. This of course does not mean that no one
else will.
In testing it with a lot of odd cases I have found one
catch. The catch goes like this :
If your data has a large offset in the points CGPLT may
round off your tic mark values. What is meant by a large offset
is when N >> delta N. Which is shown in the following example :
X Y
-------- ---------
1 100000.4
2 100000.3
3 100000.2
4 100000.1
In the above data points X is of the same order of
magnitude as delta X but, Y is 6 orders of magnitude greater than
delta Y. So when CGPLT numbered the tics it would round off the
last digit where the change is occurring. One solution to this
problem is subtract a constant from your data. Which for my
example means you should plot:
X Y
-------- ---------
1 0.4
2 0.3 Y-axis + 100000.0
3 0.2
4 0.1
Now delta Y is also of the same order as Y. To show the
correction that was made only requires making a small note on the
appropriate axis to add the constant to the displayed values.
This catch can occur on either or both of the axes depending on
your data. In general though most users will probably never
encounter this quirk.
CGPLT Version 3.00 Copyright 1987 S. Murphy 8
DISCLAIMER
Users of CGPLT do so at their own risk. The author is not
responsible for the users use, misuse, or abuse of CGPLT. Users
are entirely responsible for the loss or damage of any kind
caused by CGPLT.
COPY PERMISSION
Individuals and Computer clubs (non-profit) are granted
permission by the author to copy the CGPLT diskette for their own
use or for others to evaluate, so long as no price or other
consideration is charged besides a handling and disk charge of no
more than $6.00. The program and/or documentation may not be
modified in any way and are to be distributed together.
If you find any bugs or have any suggestions or criticisms
please feel free to write me at :
S. Murphy
4784 Bermuda Ave #H
San Diego, CA 92107 - 3862
UPDATE INFO
For those who contribute $10.00 or more and send a 5 1/4"
disk with a self addressed stamped envelope I will send them an
update or if they request a copy with out the opening screen and
the key def screen suppressed if they wish. I only ask that the
copies with the opening screen removed not be distributed. One
final point, for those contributor mentioned above I do have a
copy of the current version that supports 8087/80287 NCP this
copy is approximately 7K smaller than the version that emulates
the 8087/80287 NCP and run faster (at least for the 8087).
