Exporting Plots
There are various ways to export the plots generated by PGOPHER
for use by other programs, depending on the required result. For
most plots, right click on the plot and select "Copy to
clipboard" or "Export to file..." as discussed
below, though for the main plot window use Edit, Copy Main Plot
or File, Export, Main Plot.
Text File with Numbers
This is produced by exporting to a
file and choosing .txt or .dat as the file type, or copying and
then pasting into another application. The produces a text file,
with curves as a simple list of x,y points, one pair on each
line. If there is more than one curve in the plot (a simulation
and overlay for example) the curves are one after each other in
the file, with a blank line separating the curve. These files
should be easily readable by spreadsheets or scientific plotting
programs. Notes:
- For multiple curves the x
axis points are not necessarily the same, particularly if both a
simulation or an overlay are involved.
- Plotted points and measuring lines are also included in the
export, and show as a separate "curve" with one or two points.
- You may need to go via a spreadsheet or text file if you have
multiple curves to select the required curves.
Plots
Key Tip: Shrink the main
PGOPHER window to 1/4 - 1/8 of full screen before producing the
plot. (This will give larger lettering and symbols in the plot
produced, which is usually required for paper illustrations and
PowerPoint slides.)
The easiest method is system dependent, though exporting to a file
can also produce SVG, Xfig, PPTX, WMF
or EMF plot files on any system. For all these plot
options note two settings in the Plot Menu
under Plot Options
(also available by right clicking on other plots):
Variable Char Size
|
Selected by default, allowing
character size on printout, clipboard and export to reflect
on screen proportions. The on-screen plots typically have
rather small characters, but if the main window is reduced
in size then the characters in the plot produced are
increased in size in the resulting plot. If the option is
not selected the character size remains fixed as the window
size is changed.
|
Limit Line Segments |
Select (default) to limit
number of segments on a plotted curve. It can be helpful to
unselect this option if you intend to edit exported plots.
The only drawback is that the resulting plots can be too
complicated for some programs to handle.
|
Windows
Use copy to the clipboard and then
Edit,
Paste
Special in Microsoft Office or other applications. This
will allow you to select as the type one of (depending on the
application):
- "Microsoft Office Graphic Object" - for the plot; likely
to be easiest to edit in Microsoft Office, though may be too
slow for complex plots
- "Picture (Enhanced Metafile)" - for the plot in a
different format; may be better for complex plots.
- "Unformatted Text" - for plot as a list of numbers as
described in "Text File with Numbers" above.
(If you use normal Edit, Paste in the receiving application you
will often just see a list of numbers.) To edit plots imported in
this way in Microsoft Office applications you may need to un-group
the plot - right click on it and select "
edit picture"
and then "
ungroup". Editing plots generated this way
directly in Word can be awkward; I have found it easier to edit
plots in PowerPoint and then copy and paste into Word. Other
drawing programs will have something similar.
Linux
It is not currently possible to
export plots via the clipboard; export to one of the vector
graphics formats below. Alternatively, installation of the
cups-pdf package (available on most Linux systems) provides a
"fake" printer that produces pdf files. Simply use
File, Print and select
"Cups-PDF" as the printer.
Mac
It is not currently possible to export plots
via the clipboard on a Mac and I recommend exporting via one of
the the vector graphics formats listed below. For Microsoft
Office, the .pptx format is likely to give the best results.
Microsoft Office will read the EMF format, but unfortunately (at
least in the 2016 version) the ungrouping described above for
Windows is not available on the Mac. You will have to use another
image editing program for touching up exported plots.
Alternatively, a pdf or postscript file can be produced from
File, Print and clicking
on the "PDF" button.
Vector Graphics Files
File, Export, Main Plot
allows the vector graphics formats listed below to be produced.
While many programs will read these, expect some minor editing after
import to be required for best results.
- Scaleable vector graphics (SVG) format, which can be read and
edited by various graphics programs, including Firefox for
reading and Inkscape or
Open Office.org Draw for editing. (For Microsoft office PPTX or
EMF format currently gives better results.)
- xfig format, associated with TEX.
- PowerPoint native format (PPTX) files - likely to give good
results for Microsoft office, though for complex plots EMF may
be better.
- Enhanced metafile (EMF) format, which can be read by many
programs, including Microsoft office.
- Windows metafile (WMF) format, which can be read by many
programs. This is similar to EMF, and I recommend using EMF in
the first instance.