Scientific charts: what is the best add-in or package for getting sane ones?

[jasonataylor]

I need a normal scientific chart. You know, the ones with axes on the
right, left, top, and bottom sides. I think I did this once before and
it took an hour, since I had to trick excel into thinking i had about
four different sets of data, most of which were fake. It was insane.
Meanwhile something like Mongo or Axum or ?? or IDL would do this
naturally (make good scientific charts instead of bubble gum
candy/girlie/kiddie charts).

What is the best option for me? Do I go with a simple template a
consultant has worked out (speak up please), an excel add-in (which
one?), or do I really need to ditch excel unless all I was doing was
adding 2+2? I'd prefer not to have to toss excel and am hoping there
is a charting add-in I can buy.

Jason Taylor

 

[James Silverton]

"jasonataylor"
<[email protected]>
wrote in message

I need a normal scientific chart. You know, the ones with
axes on the
right, left, top, and bottom sides. I think I did this once
before and
it took an hour, since I had to trick excel into thinking i
had about
four different sets of data, most of which were fake. It was
insane.
Meanwhile something like Mongo or Axum or ?? or IDL would do
this
naturally (make good scientific charts instead of bubble gum
candy/girlie/kiddie charts).

What is the best option for me? Do I go with a simple
template a
consultant has worked out (speak up please), an excel add-in
(which
one?), or do I really need to ditch excel unless all I was
doing was
adding 2+2? I'd prefer not to have to toss excel and am
hoping there
is a charting add-in I can buy.

Jason Taylor

First, I would debate your use of "normal" scientific chart. In
a long career I never needed to use one such as you describe.
You might achieve what you want with Excel but there are many
programs at a great range of prices. One relatively cheap one is
PsiPlot. However, if you are actually engaged in research it
might be possible to get your employers to buy a more elaborate
program for you. At a university they may even have a site
licence for MatLab or SigmaPlot.

 

[jasonataylor]

"jasonataylor"
<[email protected]>
wrote in message

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, jasonataylor!
You wrote on Fri, 4 Aug 2006 15:59:53 -0400:

j> James Silverton Wrote:
??>> "jasonataylor"
??>> <[email protected]
??>> > wrote in
??>> message ??>> m-nospam.com...

??>>>
??>>> I need a normal scientific chart. You know, the ones
??>>> with *axes *on the right, left, top, and bottom sides. I
??>>> think I did this once before and
??>>
??>> Sorry, I meant *tickmarks*, not axes (though I love those
??>> as well). So> I want a plot like the one here:
??>>
??>> <img>
??>> src="http://132.248.1.102/~morisset/idl_cours/IDL/images/s
??>> in2.gif">.
??>>
??>>> First, I would debate your use of "normal" scientific
??>>> chart. In a long career I never needed to use one such as
??>>> you describe.
??>>>
??>> Ok I took your advice and checked out Psiplot just now.
??>> But the> samples at I saw on the company's webpage did not
??>> have tickmarks on the> top or right. It isn't clear to me
??>> that the program has this feature. > Cost isn't an issue

??>> ??>> to me. ??>>

It's been a while since I last used PsiPlot but I think it will
do what you want, judging by some of the pictures in the User's
Guide. However, if cost does not matter, I think you might be
better to investigate SigmaPlot, which *is* very widely used in
science. I used it myself when I was a working scientist but it
would be an expensive luxury since my retirement

You can get a 30-day trial of SigmaPlot:
www.systat.com/products/sigmaplot/ and it's supposed be
"integrated" with Excel. I don't know how much it costs but it
is certainly a program that sells site licences.

Best wishes,


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

 

[Mike Middleton]

Jason -

I put together an example for you, available for download from
http://www.mikemiddleton.com (lower left corner of that web page).

It's an XY (Scatter) chart, using a dummy second data series for secondary
axes. You can select each chart object and see how things are formatted.

- Mike

"jasonataylor" <[email protected]>
wrote in message

 

[jasonataylor]

Jason -

I put together an example for you, available for download from
http://www.mikemiddleton.com (lower left corner of that web page).

It's an XY (Scatter) chart, using a dummy second data series fo
secondary
axes. You can select each chart object and see how things ar
formatted.

- Mike

Thanks Mike. I had done this a long time ago but totally forgotte
how. Now that I've downloaded your sample, I realize and recall tha
one issue (aside from the annoyance of getting it setup), is that th
dummy series ranges usually have to be manually adjusted. Fo
instance, if you have 3 series, you need to make the one that has th
largest x range be selected if you are using the auto-range feature.
But I can definitly deal with that. It would be much, much less of
pain than re-learning sigmaplot. Thanks.

Jason Taylo

 

[jasonataylor]

In case anyone comes across this thread, I just wanted to post that I've
finally found the original answer I was looking for. It is 'DPlot'
(http://dplot.com/). It does everything. It appears as a tab in
Excel, so you can just highlight data and click to plot. Very light,
both in price (<$40) and size/ram (~3 meg download). Could be slightly
more user friendly, but this was exactly what I was looking for. If
you need to plot some non-business stuff from an Excel doc and don't
have all day log to play around with tricking Excel, this should work.

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, jasonataylor!
You wrote on Tue, 22 Aug 2006 20:20:47 -0400:

j> In case anyone comes across this thread, I just wanted to
j> post that I've finally found the original answer I was
j> looking for. It is 'DPlot' (http://dplot.com/). It does
j> everything. It appears as a tab in Excel, so you can just
j> highlight data and click to plot. Very light, both in price
j> (<$40) and size/ram (~3 meg download). Could be slightly
j> more user friendly, but this was exactly what I was looking
j> for. If you need to plot some non-business stuff from an
j> Excel doc and don't have all day log to play around with
j> tricking Excel, this should work.
j>

Their web page makes it look quite attractive tho' I am not in
the market for such software at the moment. Thanks for bringing
it to my attention!

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not