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Re: Re: How do I make graphs of (easy) functions like those in textbooks?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg40646] Re: Re: How do I make graphs of (easy) functions like those in textbooks?
  • From: "Kevin J. McCann" <kmccann at umbc.edu>
  • Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 03:08:29 -0400 (EDT)
  • Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  • References: <b737df$nqb$1@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I completely agree with David. I have seen countless presentations good and
bad over the years, and would like to mention just one particular thing that
presenters and report writers often leave out: label the axes of your plot
clearly and with the units. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen
presentations or looked at reports which required numerous questions and
explanations that resulted from poorly labeled or unlabeled plots. Mathematica users
are often guilty of this because a plain x-y plot is so easy, but dressing
it up takes more effort. For your own sake, expend the effort.

Kevin

--
Kevin J. McCann
Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET)
Department of Physics
UMBC
Baltimore MD 21250



"David Park" <djmp at earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:b737df$nqb$1 at smc.vnet.net...
> Bill,
>
> You hit the nail right on the head in recommending the Edward Tufte books!
>
> There are three of them, each one a gem.
> 1) The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Now in a 2nd Edition)
> 2) Envisioning Information
> 3) Visual Explanations
>
> I thought I might try to summarize some of Tufte's ideas, at least as they
> apply to producing graphics with Mathematica.
>
> 1) Maximize the information - minimize the ink. Know exactly what
> information you are trying to convey with the graphic; this is not always
> obvious. "If a picture isn't worth a thousand words, then the hell with
it."
>
> 2) In putting in ancillary information use the minimum effective
difference
> to convey that information. That leaves more visual space for the
important
> information. You usually don't need a grid, but if you are going to have
one
> make it light, almost invisible. You often don't need as many tick marks
or
> subdivisions as Mathematica normally supplies. A simple scale line will
> sometimes be enough. Legends are usually horrible! They are too large, too
> distracting and convey little information. Much better to label individual
> graph lines. Much of the extra and useless nonsense that is put into
> graphics is called "chartjunk" or "computer junk". Get rid of it.
>
> 4) Combine your graphics with text cells. Some ideas are better conveyed
by
> words. A nice Mathematica notebook is often an intermixing of Text cells,
> Input/Output cells and Graphics cells. If the code to produce the graphics
> is fairly long (It often is for good graphics.) then you can close up the
> graphics input cell so that it is just a thin blank cell that the user can
> evaluate for the graphic. Then the notebook is very readable, just like an
> interactive text book.
>
> There are many other really useful ideas and examples in Tufte. Effective
> graphics are important in conveying information and Tufte is a sure guide
in
> learning how to do it.
>
> David Park
> djmp at earthlink.net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/
>
>
> From: Bill Rowe [mailto:listuser at earthlink.net]
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
>
>
> An excellent general guide to displaying graphic information is
>
> The Visual Display of Quantitative Information written by Edward Tufte
>
> This reference shows many examples of very bad and very good graphic
> displays. Tufte also give general guidelines for creating good graphics.
> Adding emphasis to the axes by making it darker and adding arrows is
> definitely inconsistent with the guidelines Tufte gives.
>
> Adding emphasis to the axes draws attention to the axes and away from the
> data (parabola and plotted points). Since the only reason for producing a
> graph is to display the data, other elements of the graph should help
> clarify the data, not draw attention away from the data.
>
>




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