Re: gnuplot and dashed lines

[Daniel J Sebald]

On 12/21/2012 12:39 AM, Daniel J Sebald wrote:
> On 12/20/2012 09:02 PM, Daniel J Sebald wrote:
> > On 12/20/2012 08:51 PM, Ben Abbott wrote:
> > >
> [snip]
> > > Also, I looked at the "test" plots for x11. I don't see any dashed
> > > lines there.
> >
> > I sent the list a note and I've isolated the dates for which the X11
> > terminal test is failing.
> >
> > Dan
>
> I've figured out how to activate the X11 dashed lines, which I'll
> explain. How to set this up for users when they install could be
> challenging.

What we could do is come up with the dash patterns to go along with the 
'--', ':' (i.e., slightly alter the lines below, although they are 
already pretty close), then put that in the README.gnuplot documentation 
file and perhaps put a note on the webpage of where to locate the 
information.  I don't think there is much sense to trying to write a 
configure/install script for this sort of thing.

Dan


> gnuplot utilizes the standard X11 defined settings interface. This is
> explained in gnuplot under
>
> gnuplot> help set term x11 line_resources
>
> Basically, one puts the definitions for the dash patterns inside a local
> .Xdefaults file. For example
>
> ! gnuplot settings
> gnuplot*dashed: on
> gnuplot*borderDashes: 0
> gnuplot*axisDashes: 16
> gnuplot*line1Dashes: 0
> gnuplot*line2Dashes: 42
> gnuplot*line3Dashes: 13
> gnuplot*line4Dashes: 44
> gnuplot*line5Dashes: 15
> gnuplot*line6Dashes: 4441
> gnuplot*line7Dashes: 42
> gnuplot*line8Dashes: 13
>
> and then at the shell command line type
>
> shell> xrdb -merge .Xdefaults
>
> I've put the above command in my shell script resource file. (Try xrdb
> -query if you run into problems.)
>
> Given that, the "test" pattern in gnuplot should look reasonable. Octave
> line patterns come out reasonable as well.
>
> As for the Qt terminal, I'm able to replicate what you are seeing, i.e.,
> the gnuplot test pattern looks reasonable, but nothing seems to happen
> when Octave attempts dashed lines. I have noticed that Qt terminal
> doesn't work exactly the same inside gnuplot as does the x11 terminal.
> Where commands like
>
> gnuplot> set term x11 dashed
> Terminal type set to 'x11'
> Options are ' nopersist dashed'
> gnuplot> plot x with lines linestyle 2 linecolor 4
> gnuplot> plot x with lines linestyle 2 linecolor 5
> gnuplot> plot x with lines linestyle 3 linecolor 5
>
> appear to control the line style and color separately for x11, the same
> commands in Qt terminal don't:
>
> gnuplot> set term qt dashed
> Terminal type set to 'qt'
> Options are '0 font "Sans,9" dashed'
> gnuplot> plot x with lines linestyle 2 linecolor 4
> gnuplot> plot x with lines linestyle 2 linecolor 5
> gnuplot> plot x with lines linestyle 3 linecolor 5
>
> The Qt terminal just picks whatever number was set last for the line
> style (which has its own set color).
>
> So, I understand this now. I'll notify gnuplot developers.
>
> Dan

--

Dan Sebald
email: daniel(DOT)sebald(AT)ieee(DOT)org
URL: http://www(DOT)dansebald(DOT)com