From chemistry-request@ccl.net Thu Apr 9 16:25:25 1992 Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 14:46:24 EDT From: srahman@pellns.alleg.EDU Subject: Graphics packages To: chemistry@ccl.net Status: R I would like to get some feedback on experience people have made in using packages available for visualization of scientific data. We tried several, but were not particularly happy with any of them. In particular, how does the package from NCAR(?) compare with other packages such as IDL and PV-WAVE? (We were not able to look at the NCAR(?) graphics because they do not ship a demo copy, you must buy one for about $700.) WAVEFRONT is too expensive. Is AVS an overkill for visualization of scientific data? What about apE? Thanks in advance. From chemistry-request@ccl.net Thu Apr 9 18:22:04 1992 Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 17:08:15 -0400 From: rrk@iris3.chem.fsu.EDU (Randal R. Ketchem) Subject: Graphics packages To: chemistry@ccl.net Status: R > I would like to get some feedback on experience people have >made in using packages available for visualization of scientific >data. We tried several, but were not particularly happy with any of >them. In particular, how does the package from NCAR(?) compare with >other packages such as IDL and PV-WAVE? (We were not able to look at >the NCAR(?) graphics because they do not ship a demo copy, you must >buy one for about $700.) WAVEFRONT is too expensive. Is AVS an >overkill for visualization of scientific data? What about apE? Thanks >in advance. I do not have any experience with NCSA software, but I know that NCSA has scientific visualization software. Look on zaphod.ncsa.uiuc.edu. Randy From chemistry-request@ccl.net Thu Apr 9 19:34:09 1992 Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 17:48:46 EDT From: system@alchemy.chem.utoronto.CA Subject: Re: Graphics packages To: chemistry@ccl.net Status: R Taken from our graphics notes for new users: The PGPLOT software package will produce plots for several output devices, including a Tektronix or compatible graphics device, or the Imagen laser printer (in Tektronix or preferably Impress modes). This package is essentially a set of subroutines that must be called by the user in the proper order to perform simple graphics operations, but includes some routines for contour maps, histograms, and gray-scale maps. The NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO) software package is also available, which will produce plots for several output devices, including a Tektronix or compatible graphics device, or the Imagen laser printer (in Tektronix or preferably Impress modes). This package is essentially a set of subroutines that must be called by the user in the proper order to perform simple graphics operations, but includes routines for "automatic" X-Y plots, contour maps, histograms, gray-scale maps, pseudo-3D plotting and display of vector fields. Most routines have simple and expert interfaces. The GNU gnuplot package is also available for interactive or background plotting. This package will produce output on a wide variety of output devices, including X Windows workstations, Tektronix-compatible terminals, and the Imagen and Postscript laser printers. For more information, see "man gnuplot", "man gnuplotman", and "doc" (for LaTeX versions of both the gnuplot manual and a tutorial manual). There are demo plots supplied. The same program will also run on a PC, using all the possible monitors. We also have a set of routines to create your own programs: the Tektronix Terminal Control System (TCS, also known as 'PLOT10') for plotting on a Tektronix or compatible graphics device, or the Imagen laser printer. Net results: for interactive use, Gnuplot wins by default, since neither PGPLOT nor NCAR is interactive. Gnuplot also runs on a wide variety of systems (UNIX workstations and PCs), so the same software can be used, and the user needs only to learn one package. We will still be using PGPLOT and NCAR for certain plots they do well (e.g. NCAR does a good job with labelled contour plots of regular or irregular data); having to write programs to use these packages is a drawback, though PGPLOT programs are fairly simple (we supply a template for users to get started), and NCAR has a suite of examples for each major routine that can be easily extracted by a user. I don't think anyone has ever got the NCAR automatic X-Y graphics routine "Autograph" to produce "nice" plots that look the way the user wants (NCAR has a predefined "look" for graphs that seems hard/impossible to modify); many use Gnuplot/PGPLOT for this. Using PLOT10 directly is only for masochists, or for providing low level interface for other packages that have already simplified graphics to line/dot draw commands. N.B. I do not use any of these personally, but I think the above reflects the feelings of our user community, most of whom are not sophisitcated computer users - we've had NCAR for several years; we kept looking and found PGPLOT; we still kept looking and Gnuplot seems to offer good interactive graphics, and will probably replace NCAR/PGPLOT for most purposes. The users who can write programs easily, or who generate their data with their own programs use PGPLOT directly >from FORTRAN; users who have tables of data use Gnuplot. Mike. -- Mike Peterson, System Administrator, U/Toronto Department of Chemistry E-mail: system@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca