After learning the basics of Quick graphing and experimenting with simple graphs, you should be familiar with how easy and capable PlotIT can be. To this point, however, you have been led only through graphing data in the form of FORTRAN equations. Although PlotIT accepts and plots data files from many sources, by using PlotIT's worksheet, you have a convenient tool for analyzing data and creating data files for graphical output.
Creating a Simple Data File Using PlotIT's Worksheet
In this first example, the following steps create a data file of Y-values. The worksheet row numbers, 1 through n, become the X-values when the data set is graphed.
1. There are a couple of ways you can open a new worksheet document. Using the Menu Bar, select File/New Worksheet. Or, simply click on the Sheet icon on the PowerBar. A worksheet titled Sheet1 should appear, similar to the following:
2. The cursor will be in cell A1. Key in a number and press Enter. This will move the cursor to cell A2.
3. Repeat this process of entering an arbitrary number in each cell in column A. You may enter as many as you like, but about ten entries is sufficient.
4. Save the file. This is done by selecting the File/Save command from the Menu Bar. When the dialog box appears, type
FILE1.DAT
That is how easy it is to create and save a data file in the worksheet. Now let's see how PlotIT graphs from that data file.
Making a Graph from a Data File
1. At the Menu Bar, select File/Quick.
2. In the dialog box, enter the file name in the Data File box:
FILE1.DAT
3. PlotIT displays a line graph of your data file.
Entering X-, Y-, and Z-Axis Data
The example above used only the A column of the worksheet. In that case, PlotIT assumes that (x,y) coordinates to be graphed are from each row: worksheet row number, data in column A.
To input both x and y coordinates, enter x data in worksheet column A and y data in column B. PlotIT will assume that the data pairs from each row constitute one (x,y) pair.
Similarly, for 3D coordinates, (x,y,z), enter data in worksheet columns A, B, and C. PlotIT then will assume that the data from each worksheet row constitutes a 3D coordinate, (x,y,z).
Hint: Be sure you save modified data files, or the changes will not appear in your graph.
Using Other Data Files
To use data files saved to other disks or directories, a complete path must be given along with the file name.
For data files from sources other than PlotIT's worksheet, there is a different syntax that must be used depending on what software created the data file. Consult the PlotIT User's Guide for more information.