Detailed Contents
Introduction
Command Line
File Format
Plot Instructions
Expressions
Curve Fitting
Three-Dimensional Plots
PostScript Files
Appendix: Line Styles
Index
In this section we discuss the method of starting DigiPlot and the various command line parameters used to modify the behaviour of DigiPlot. Note that command line parameters are not available from [;DCR Read plot data from file].
The DigiPlot utility is started by
DigiPlot plot_file [/B [buffer] [/K]] [/O output_lut] [/P [PS_file] [/A] [/N plot_format] [/MF] [/C colour_model]] [/G] [/0]
or
DigiPlot /H
where the parameters are
| Parameter | Use |
| plot_file | Specifies the name of the file to be plotted. If no extension is given, DigiPlot will assume .PLT. We recommend that you use this extension for all DigiPlot files. Note that if the specified file is not found in the current directory, then DigiPlot will search for it in the directory specified by the [;ZP Set command file search path] option of DigImage. |
| /B [buffer] | Specifies that the plot should be rendered on a frame buffer. If /B is specified without the optional buffer, then the plot will be produced on buffer 0. Specifying /B -1 will render the plot on the computer monitor, and /B -2 will render only on the specified PostScript file. If no /B is specified on command line, the plotting device depends on the settings specified by the configuration utility, CONFIGUR.EXE. |
| /G | Force the DigImage variables to be global rather than local. By default the entry values are saved prior to starting the plot and restored at the end. When DigiPlot is started from the command line, this has no effect as the variables are always local in this mode. If, however, DigiPlot is started with the !PR command from within DigImage, the /G switch allows the variables to be returned to the parent DigImage or command file context. |
| /K | By default, if /B is specified, the contents of the frame grabber buffer will be erased prior to rendering the plot. If the /K switch is invoked, then the buffer is not erased. |
| /O output_lut | Specifies which output look up table is to be used to create the colour scheme on the computer monitor or frame grabber buffer. If /O is not specified, then output look up table is determined by the current colour model. For greyscale, then output look up table 2 (single cycle false colour) will be utilised, while for colour, output look up table 3 will be employed. The default colour model is specified by the [;P Printers] option of CONFIGUR.EXE, and may be overridden by the /C colour_model switch. |
| /P [PS_file] | Creates the file PS_file which may be printed on a PostScript printer to obtain hard copy of the plot. If the /P switch is specified without the PS_file, DigiPlot will prompt the user for a PostScript file on completion of the plot. Production of this PostScript file may be suppressed by entering a blank name. If the /P switch is not given, then no PostScript will be produced. If .PS is specified, then normal printable PostScript will be generated. If .EPS is specified, then an encapsulated PostScript file will be produced. If .DPS is specified, then an encapsulated PostScript file, excluding the prolog, will be produced. If either no extension or a different extension is specified, the PostScript type will be that set in the [;P Printers] option of CONFIGUR.EXE.We recommend that in most cases you generate encapsulated PostScript (.EPS) files. These may then be printed out using the DigiFile utility, or imported into another application (such as a word processor). Note that DigiFile is also able to convert .DPS into .PS or .EPS; .EPS into .PS and .PS into .EPS formats. Refer to the DigiFile documentation for further details. |
| /PE [PS_file] | Produces an encapsulated PostScript file suitable for inclusion in another document (e.g. with a word processor). If no extension is given, then .EPS will be added. |
| /PD [PS_file] | This is the same as the /PE switch except that the PostScript prologue is not included in the file. |
| /PET [PS_file] | As for /PE except that any text will maintain its original size regardless of any scaling imposed by the document in which the encapsulated PostScript is embedded. Note that this form of .EPS does not follow the Adobe restrictions for Encapsulated PostScript, but nevertheless functions correctly in most contexts. |
| /PDT [PS_file] | As for /PD except that any text will maintain its original size regardless of any scaling imposed by the document in which the encapsulated PostScript is embedded. |
| /A | If included and the PostScript file PS_file already exists, then the specified plot will be appended to it. Note that the standard PostScript headers (Header.PS and GraphVDU.PS) will not be added, unless PS_file is empty. This switch is ignored if the /P switch is not also on the command line. |
| /N plot_format | Specifies the format of the plots. The valid values of plot_format are:0 One plot per page, portrait
1 One plot per page, landscape (default) 2 Two plots per page, portrait 3 Three plots per page, portrait 4 Four plots per page, landscape 10 As for 0 but with space for alternate x and y axes 11 As for 1 but with space for alternate x and y axes 12 As for 2 but with space for alternate x and y axes 13 As for 3 but with space for alternate x and y axes 14 As for 4 but with space for alternate x and y axesThe default format is determined by the [;P Printers] option in CONFIGUR.EXE.Note that this switch does not affect the appearance of the plot on the screen. |
| /C colour_model | This switch specifies how colour and greyscale information will be printed. The default colour_model is specified by the [;P Printers] option in the configuration utility CONFIGUR.EXE. If you are using a Level 1 PostScript printer, then only colour_models 0 and 1 are available. For a Level 2 colour PostScript printer the basic response to the different colour models is:0 Colour information not used. DigiPlot lines are rendered as dashed line types while images are rendered as greyscale.1 DigiPlot lines are rendered as greyscale as are images.2 DigiPlot lines and images rendered as colour.3 Images rendered as colours and lines as dashes.10 As for /C 0, but remaps the intensity using the active lookup table as specified by /O. DigiFile will send the result to the greyscale printer, although will be printed in colour if sent directly to a colour printer.11 As for /C 1, but remaps the intensity using the active lookup table as specified by /O. DigiFile will send the result to the greyscale printer, although will be printed in colour if sent directly to a colour printer.With a Level 2 greyscale printer, the colour information will be rendered using the equivalent intensity.Samples of these different models may be found in figure 1 (/C 0), figure 2 (/C 1), figure 3 (/C 2) and figure 4 (/C 3). |
| /0 | Start DigiPlot without frame grabber support. This may be usefule when running under Windows 3.11 or Windows 95 to start DigiPlot while one of the components of DigImage is running and using the frame grabber card. |
| /H | If started with this option, DigiPlot will display the help text associated with [;DCR Read plot data from file]. |
As an alternative, DigiPlot may be started from within DigImage or Trk2DVel by issuing the !PR plot_file [cmd_line_options] directive, either from the keyboard or within a command file. Here plot_file is simply the name of the DigiPlot file to be plotted. The optional cmd_line_options are the same as those available from the MS-DOS prompt (except that /H is not supported). Note that while !PR plot_file may be executed from any DigImage prompt, there may be some unexpected side effects if it is issued from within a menu option once that option has been started. We recommend instead that its use is confined to DigImage menus.
If a PostScript file is produced, it may be printed either by COPYing it to the printer or through the DigiFile utility. If DigiFile is used then it is also possible to alter many of the command line options reterospectively. Refer to the DigiFile Users Guide for details. Note that using the MS-DOS COPY can lead to the printer receiving a <ctrl><Z> character (MS-DOS end of file) which can confuse some printers. We recommend the use of GhostScript and GhostView for providing a preview of these PostScript files, should this be required.
DigiPlot may also be started by typing DigiGV
in place of DigiPlot.
If DigiPlot is started using DigiGV,
then rather than DigiPlot attempting to produce a plot on the
framegrabber or computer monitor, it creates a temporary PostScript
file which is then automatically shown using GhostView. Refer
to the installation guide for how this feature may be set up.
DigImage documentation page
DigImage home page
Stuart Dalziel's home page