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Re: Plotting a curve in space

  • To: mathgroup at christensen.cybernetics.net
  • Subject: [mg1931] Re: Plotting a curve in space
  • From: el at qua.crl.melco.co.jp (E. Lange)
  • Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 22:31:42 -0400

> Hi -- I'd like to plot the orbit of a satellite which has
> been calculated by numerical integration. The data is basically
> an array of time (equally spaced) and Cartesian position
> coordinates x, y, and z.
...

Lets assume that you have some data points:

points = Table[{Sin[x], Cos[x], x/20}, {x, 0., 20, .2}];

Then you can try

Show[Graphics3D[Line[points]]]

For obtaining a smoother (or coarser) curve, you could use
interpolation:

{x, y, z} = Map[ Interpolation, Transpose[points] ]
ParametricPlot3D[{x[t], y[t], z[t]}, {t, 1, Length[points]}]

or (a bit shorter):

f = Interpolation /@ Transpose[points]
ParametricPlot3D[Through[f[t]], {t, 1, Length[points]}]

The option PlotPoints of ParametricPlot3D lets you adjust the
smoothness of the curve (default: PlotPoints->75).

Good luck        ---        Eberhard Lange


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