8.3 Plotting Controls

Access to plotting controls is provided by a "Plot menu" brought up as follows:

1. place the cursor inside the plotting space,
2. press the right mouse button The menu which appears offers several useful options.
   • "Plot What" -- used to select variables at specific locations. This essential option is described in detail below.
   • "Crosshair" -- the X & Y coordinates of any point in a plot pot up when the cursor is "clicked" on the curve. Holding the left mouse button down while moving along the curve allows convenient following of changes in the curve.
   • "Color/Brush" -- brings up a small panel showing 10 colors and 10 line widths, solid and dashed lines. Choice of the color and line characteristics are made by "pushing" the small diamond shaped button to the left of each item. Then "Clicking" on any plotted curve will change its characteristics accordingly. The color of the variable name (or label) associated with the plot is linked and changes simultaneously. This link means that the color of the curve may also be changed by clicking on the variable label.
   • "Axis type" -- allows one to view (default) the axes, erase them or see new axes.
   • "Keep Lines" -- Preserves plotted curves; this is useful for comparisons when parameters are changed.
   • "Erase" -- erases all plots but retains the names of the variables to be plotted.
   • "Move Text" -- text and labels may be moved by pressing the left button on the text and holding while moving to the desired position.
   • "Change Text" -- when text and labels are identified by "clicking" the left button on the text, an edit box pops up. If the text so edited is a variable label, the section or location can be changed as well as adding a scaling factor. The modification will show upon "acceptance" but will be applicable ONLY to plots resulting from subsequent runs.
   • "Delete" -- allows the deletion of an individual plot or variable label bu "clicking" on it. Deletion of the individual curve is equivalent to an erase of a single curve, eliminating it from that window but it will reappear on subsequent runs. Deletion of the variable label permanemtly removes it and its associated plots.
   The indented options select the action of the left mouse button; the default function is "Crosshair". The Graph Window label will show the last chosen function for the left mouse button. This will continue to define its function until another choice is made; that is the unindented options do NOT affect the function of the left mouse button and thus do not change the window label.

   "Plot What"

   1) To select a variable to be plotted as a function of time:

   1. place the cursor inside the plotting space,
   2. press the right mouse button to bring up the plot control menu, and
   3. "click" the left button on "plot what".

   This will birng up the "Plot What" browser. Selection of a variable at a particular location may be accomplished in any of three ways:

   1. By typing in the name of the section, followed by the variable name and relative location in the section.
   2. From the browser list,
      • choose the component or section name and then
      • the variable -eg. axon.v(0.5)
      • press the "Accept" button. A "double click" on the variable will also be interpreted by the browser as an "Accept".

   The default location is at the midpoint of the component or section; this location may be changed to the desired place by:

   • editing the text line before accepting.
   • It may also be changed later with the "change text" option from the plot submenu brought up by the mouse button in the plot window.

   Other variables may be plotted in the same plot window by repeating the processes outlined in 1 or 2 above or they may be plotted in individual windows. It is often helpful to use different colors to identify curves in a multiple plot window. This can be arranged quite readily by choosing the "Change Color" option from the "Plot menu".

   Back to:

   8.1 Simulation Control
   8.2 Graphs
   

   Forward to:

   8.4 Scene and View Options
   8.5 Sessions