SET/GRAPHIC and SHOW/GRAPHIC

  

SET/GRAPHIC plays an important role in the plot package. This command gives the user control over the plot size, line types ( LTYPE) , line thickness ( LWIDTH) , symbol type ( STYPE)  and size ( SSIZE) , etc. In Table 6.2 the various options that can be set with the SET/GRAPH command are listed, together with the default settings. Below we briefly discuss some of the options. More extended documentation can be found in the help file of the SET/GRAPHIC command.

By default, all data points in frames, keywords and descriptors are connected with a line; data points in tables are plotted individually. This setting can be changed with the LTYPE and STYPE options in SET/GRAPH. Normally, when plotting data points in a frame, descriptor, or keyword, the plot package first looks for the line type. If the line type is set to 0 (LTYPE=0) it looks for the symbol (STYPE). If both LTYPE and STYPE are found to be 0 a fatal error occurs.

In case of table plotting the package first looks for the symbol type. When STYPE=0 a line will be drawn corresponding to LTYPE. An error occurs if both LTYPE and STYPE are 0. For histogram plotting or when the bin mode  @BINis on (BIN=ON), the package needs a line type greater than zero; an error occurs when LTYPE=0. Table data can not be plotted with BIN=ON.

By default, before a PLOT command is executed the graphics window is erased. To switch off the erase, you can use the option CLEARGRA=OFF. By doing so, subsequently issued plot commands will run in overplot mode: the screen content is kept. Hence, by issuing a number of PLOT commands you can easily produce several plots on one screen (page). To help you more in designing the layout of your plot scales  (and sizes)   as well as the position on the screen (paper) can be pre-defined by XSCALE  and YSCALE , and XOFFSET  and YOFFSET . The default font used by MIDAS is a simple one but is plotted fast. More fonts are available to enable you to obtain publication quality graphics output. With the command SET/GRAPHIC FONT=n , where n is larger than 0, you can use a different (nicer) font than the default one. Currently, the following font sets are available:

0	Default built-in font
1	High quality roman font
2	Greek font
3	Script font
4	Old English font with astronomical symbols
5	Tiny roman font, simpler than 1

To display these fonts and the associated character and symbol sets you can run the tutorial TUTORIAL/GRAPH GENERAL.

 

Table 6.2: SET/GRAPHIC Options

Option	Value and meaning and defaults
DEFAULT	no value; sets plot package in default mode
XAXIS=	AUTO or xstart,xend,xbig_tick,xsmall_tick in world coordinates;
	when xsmall_tick < 0 a logarithmic axis is plotted; the default is AUTO
YAXIS=	AUTO or ystart,yend,ybig_tick,ysmall_tick in world coordinates;
	when ysmall_tick < 0 a logarithmic axis is plotted; default is AUTO
FRAME=	RECT or SQUA; default is RECT
XSCALE=	AUTO, scale in world units/per mm or size of plot
YSCALE=	AUTO, scale in world units/per mm or size of plot
XOFFSET=	NONE or the offset of the left y axis to left device boundary
YOFFSET=	NONE or the offset of the lower x axis to lower device boundary
XFORMAT=	NONE, AUTO or format description (see below)
YFORMAT=	NONE, AUTO or format description (see below)
PMODE=	0 (plot without frame and legend), or
	1 (plot with frame and some information), or
	2 (plot with frame and full legenda) which is default
FONT=	font to be used to write text; default is 1; (see below)
LTYPE=	1 (solid line) to 6 (long dash - short dash); (see below)
	default is 1; 0 corresponds with no line at all
LWIDTH=	set line width; 0 or 1 for single width; 2, 3 and 4 for increasing thickness
STYPE=	1 (dot) to 21 (left arrow); default 4 (cross); 0 corresponds with no symbol at all
SSIZE=	value; set the scaling factor of symbols; default is 1
TSIZE=	value; set the scaling factor for text strings; default is 1
TWIDTH=	value; set the line width for text strings; default is 1
BINMODE=	OFF or ON; default is OFF
COLOUR=	number ranging from 0 to 7; the default is black (1)
	The setting has only effect on graphic display devices supporting colour
BCOLOUR=	number ranging from 0 to 7; set the background colour; the default is black (1)
	The setting has only effect on graphic display devices upporting colour
CLEARGRA=	ON or OFF. OFF will not clear graphic screen for a PLOT command;
	default ON

   

If a colour postscript printer is at your disposal you may use the colour setting options COLOUR=n  and BCOLOUR=n . In the SET/GRAPH command defaults for single parameters can be (re)set by: SET/GRAPH par_name=value. The reinitialization of all plot parameters can be done by: SET/GRAPHIC or SET/GRAPHIC DEF.