Re: Global setting of Graphics options for plot, listplot, listlogplot...
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg87068] Re: Global setting of Graphics options for plot, listplot, listlogplot...
- From: "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net>
- Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:02:05 -0500 (EST)
- References: <fsnb7i$d08$1@smc.vnet.net>
I would recommend against spending too much time trying to make a 'universal
plot format'. You can certainly do it if you are producing repetitive plots
of a specific type, say weather data plotted each day or a number of
experimental data runs whose results were quite similar.
But the average technical person is going to have a range of graphics
requirements. Each set of data or each mathematical idea will require its
own style of presentation if the message is going to be conveyed with
maximum effectiveness. What this come down to is that graphics is work if
you really want to convey the clearest message and each graphic requires its
individual treatment.
Nevertheless, there are things you can do for a number of similar plots. One
approach is to create your own Show statement with the desired options:
MyShow[plot_] :=
Show[plot,
Frame -> True,
GridLinesStyle -> GrayLevel[0.8],
GridLines -> Automatic,
BaseStyle -> {FontSize -> 12},
ImageSize -> 450]
This works fairly well for simple linear scale plots.
MyShow[Plot[Sin[x], {x, 0, 6 \[Pi]}]]
data = Table[{x, x Cos[x]}, {x, 0, 6 \[Pi], 6 \[Pi]/100}];
MyShow[ListPlot[data]]
But not for Log plots because there the grid has to be generated within the
Log plot.
MyShow[LogPlot[x!/(1 + x^2), {x, 0, 3}]]
So you could make a second Show statement that did not set the GridLines so
you could inherit them from the Log plot.
MyLogShow[plot_] :=
Show[plot,
Frame -> True,
GridLinesStyle -> GrayLevel[0.8],
BaseStyle -> {FontSize -> 12},
ImageSize -> 450]
MyLogShow[LogPlot[x!/(1 + x^2), {x, 0, 3}, GridLines -> Automatic]]
But then, do you really like Mathematics's choice of GridLines there?
So trying to create a universal plot format or style will only tend to
divert you from the much more interesting issues that have to do with your
individual plots and probably won't save you much time in the long run.
--
David Park
djmpark at comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/
"zerosumgame" <rogerhw at hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:fsnb7i$d08$1 at smc.vnet.net...
> Has anyone any experience (v6) with setting global graphics options.
> What I want to do is fairly simple. I want all my graphics to have a
> frame, automatic gridlines of a particular colour and the same font
> etc.
>
> Fonts are easy, I can set those as in Option Inspector (Formatting
> Options/Expression Formatting/Graphics Box Options/GraphicsBoxOptions)
> in BaseStyle and DefaultBaseStyle.
>
> Setting Frame and GridLinesStyles here is not a good plan though as
> plot legends and graphics Grid use invisible graphics boxes to
> position things. Adding frames and grids lines to all graphics boxes
> will corrupt these place holder boxes.
>
> I can, in my init.m file introduce altered values for Options[Plot]
> with Frame->True etc but I have to do this for Plot, ListPlot,
> LogPlot, ListLogPlot etc of which there are quite a few.
>
> Question is can anyone think of a better way?
>
> Thanks
>
> ZSG
>