Trace Options for 2D Plots |
To select options for each trace on an X-Y plot or a Polar Plot:
Double-click on the plot or select the plot and choose Graph > X-Y Plot or Graph > Polar Plot from the Format menu to open a tabbed dialog box.
Click on the Traces tab.
Various options for line type, weight, color, symbol are available for each trace. To change options, click on the box for the desired option in the row with the trace's name under the Legend Label column. Modify the properties of the trace using the drop-down lists and color palettes that appear when a box is selected.
Click "Apply" to preview changes without closing the dialog. Click "OK" to close the dialog box and save all changes.
Legend label is the name of the trace as it appears on the legend. Click on the legend label box for a trace to select it for editing. Type a new label if you wish to change it. Note that the legend is not displayed by default, so you won't see these labels until you turn it on.
The Symbol drop-down list specifies a symbol for each point on the curve. Pull down the drop-down list to choose from the ten styles of opened and closed symbols. If you have many close-packed points, you should probably select "none" (blank box), which is the default.
The Frequency setting specifies how often to plot a symbol. A frequency of 1 means plot a symbol for every plotted point. A frequency of 2 means plot a symbol for every second point, and so on. All available points are used when drawing lines; this setting affects the plotting of symbols only.
The Symbol Weight drop-down list specifies a size for each symbol on the curve, independent of line size.
The Line setting controls whether the trace is solid, dotted, dashed, or alternating dashes and dots. This setting provides a useful way to distinguish unmarked curves in black and white printouts. If you wish to have no line at all, select trace type "points."
The Color setting allows you to pick a wide range of colors including setting custom colors. This setting is unavailable for a monochrome display.
The Type setting controls whether the selected trace appears as a curve, a symbol/point, a bar chart, error bars, a stepped curve, a stem plot, or as a solid bar plot. The error bar type must be selected for two sequential traces.
Use the "draw" trace type if you only wish to connect points displayed within the axis limits, without extending the lines to the edge of the graph box. This is useful for plotting multiple traces represented in a single vector or matrix, where the data repeats itself. With the "draw" trace type and axis limits set smaller than the data maximum, the lines won't double back across the graph to start over at the next point.
Controls trace thickness. Use 1 for fine curves and 9 for thick curves. Use "p" to make the finest possible curve, a single pixel wide. Keep in mind that a "p" curve may not print on printers with inadequate resolution. This setting also controls the size of the symbols marking data points, if you have selected a symbol other than "none." If you have selected trace type "points," this field sets the weight of the dot plotted at each data point.
This setting reports whether an expression is plotted on the primary (left - Y) or secondary (right - Y2) axis. It cannot be changed from the Traces tab - you must move expressions using the graph placeholders.
Check this box to hide the math expressions you typed in the middle placeholder of each axis. Use this setting to hide complicated expressions in favor of clearer axis labels or legend labels.
Check this box to hide the legend that appears under the plot (the default). When the legend is displayed, it uses the legend label specified for each trace, along with the chosen line type, to identify traces.
You have five choices of position for the legend using the radio buttons below the Hide legend check box. The legend can be displayed in any of the four interior corners of the graph or below the bottom-left corner. These radio buttons are disabled if the Hide legend box is checked.