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-
-
-
- Manual for Autograf (tm) -- The Scatterplot Specialist (tm)
- -----------------------------------------------------------
- Version 127
-
- (Copyright (c) 1989 by Walter F. Smith)
- Introduction
- ------------
-
- Autograf is a high-performance graphing and data-analysis program.
- To our knowledge, it is by far the fastest and easiest-to-use graphing
- program for the IBM PC family. It can create linear, log-log, or semi-log
- scatterplots using multiple datasets, each of which can be up to 16300
- points long. As an example of Autograf's speed, it can read in and
- screen-plot 2000 data points in about 10 seconds on a 10MHz AT clone.
- Powerful data massaging features are conveniently linked to the graphics.
- We have designed Autograf to be as automatic as is possible. Appropriate
- plotting symbols, colors, and axes are automatically chosen for each
- dataset. The automatic axis setting routine is "smarter" than any other
- we've encountered. However, it is easy to override the defaults whenever
- you like. The whole program is so easy to use that you should be able to
- learn the basics in about 5 min.
-
- Hardware Requirements
- ---------------------
-
- *IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible
- *570k RAM
- *Graphics adapter card -- Hercules, CGA, EGA, or VGA
- (CGA cards will be used in the high-resolution monochrome mode. VGA
- cards will be used in EGA mode, and should be set that way if they aren't
- auto-switching.)
- (*HPGL plotter or plotter emulation software required for high quality hard
- copy. If you don't have either, you can do a screen-dump to a dot-matrix
- printer.)
- (*Math co-processor chip will be used if present, but not required)
-
- BEFORE USING AUTOGRAF, YOU MUST READ THE AUTOGRAF LICENSE AGREEMENT (FOUND
- AT THE END OF THIS MANUAL). USE OF AUTOGRAF INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF
- THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS DETAILED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
-
- "Autograf" and "The Scatterplot Specialist" are trademarks of Walter F. Smith.
- Walter F. Smith reserves the right to make changes in the product
- described in this manual at any time, and without notice.
-
- This manual is for Autograf version 127. The correct size for the file
- AUTOGRAF.EXE in this version is 167134. If your copy of
- AUTOGRAF.EXE doesn't match this statistic, destroy it. Send $2 to the
- address in the license agreement to obtain an unregistered clean copy (or
- $15 for a registered one!).
-
- What you need to know to start using Autograf in 5 minutes
- ----------------------------------------------------------
-
- *Datafiles must be in ASCII
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- *The default data format is:
-
- (up to 999 comment lines.) }The comment lines
- START }and START are optional
- X1 Y1
- X2 Y2
- . .
- . .
- . .
-
- The comment lines and "START" line are not required. (If you have a large
- datafile with no comments and a slow computer, you may add "/N" to the end of
- the filename when Autograf prompts you for it, e.g. FILE.DAT/N. This will
- shorten the time it takes to read the file from disk, but is not
- required.) If you do have comment lines, you must include the START (in
- capitals, on a line by itself) just before the data.
- The X and Y values must be separated from each other by spaces,
- commas, or tabs. Spaces or commas will allow faster reading of large
- datafiles than tabs.
- Here are two sample datafiles:
-
- File#1:
- ------
-
- I find comment lines at the start of my datafiles to be a convenient
- way to keep track of what the data means.
- This file contains three columns, and by default
- the first one will be the x-values and the second the y's
- START
- 1.00 1.15 8.97
- 2 3.2 4.53
- 6 7 5.4
- 7 8 3.2
-
-
-
- File#2:
- ------
-
- 1.2,-3.09e-4
- 3.5, 6.78
- 1,34
- 7,89
-
-
- *To start autograf, type
- C:Autograf
- at the DOS prompt, where C: is the drive (and directory) where you have
- stored AUTOGRAF.EXE
-
- *You will notice on the main menu that many of the options have been
- replaced by "---". Most of these options do not become available until
- after you have read in a datafile and screen-plotted it.
-
- *Menu selections can be made either by using the left and right arrow
- keys to move the brackets around the desired item (e.g. >Data< ) and then
- hitting carriage-return (<CR>), or by typing the first letter of the item
- (e.g. D ).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- *Default responses to questions are shown in angle brackets: <Default>
- To accept a default response, just press <CR> .
- *You can escape from any menu to the one "above" it by hitting the Esc key.
- *Hardcopies are available by using the "Hard-copy" menu selection to
- output to an HPGL plotter connected to serial port 1, or to do a
- screen-dump to a dot-matrix printer. (Typically, to do a screen-dump, you type
- GRAPHICS at the DOS prompt to load the correct printer driver before start-
- ing Autograf. Then, once you have the desired plot on screen, press the
- "Print Screen" or "PrtSc" key. This will probably only work if you have a
- CGA card, or an EGA, VGA, or Hercules card running in CGA simulation mode. See
- your computer's manual and your graphics-card manual for more details.)
- *A typical quick run from reading in data to making a hardcopy would go as
- follows: (it's probably best for you to actually follow along on your
- computer as you read through this section, using the sample data file
- AGSAMPLE.DAT)
-
- C>Autograf <CR> [Start Autograf from DOS prompt]
-
- (Intro. screen appears, followed by the main menu: )
-
- >Data< Axes Options ----------- ------ ---- --------- ------- Quit
-
- You press D (or <CR>) to select Data.
-
- (The data menu appears: )
-
- >Read-data-from-disk< >----------------<
-
- You press R (or <CR>) to select Read-data-from-disk
-
- Autograf prompts you
-
- Name of datafile (/N if no comments)?
-
- You type FILE.DAT<CR> where FILE.DAT is your filename, including path
- if needed.
-
- (The data-entry menu appears: )
-
- >Read-it< X-scale/shift Y-scale/shift Sort Column-specification
-
- You press R (or <CR>) to select Read-it.
-
- (Autograf reads in the data, then returns you to the main menu: )
-
- >----< Axes Options Screen-plot ------ ---- Hard-copy Massage Quit
-
- You press S (or use the arrow keys to move the angle brackets around
- Screen-plot and then press <CR>) to select Screen-plot.
-
- (Autograf chooses appropriately-scaled linear axes for you, does the
- screen-plot, and returns to the main menu: )
-
- >Data< Axes Options Screen-plot Cursor Fits Hard-copy Massage Quit
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- You press H to access the Hardcopy menu:
-
- >Plotter< Screen-dump HPGL-file
-
- You press P to access the Plotter menu:
-
- >Go< Char-size Velocity Plot-size Symbol Data-labels Y-axis-label-angle
-
-
- After checking to be sure your plotter is connected to serial port 1, and
- is loaded with paper, you press G to select Go.
-
- (Autograf plots the axes, then asks you: )
-
- Pen # for next dataset <2>?
-
- You type the desired pen #, followed by <CR>, or just <CR> for the default
- response of 2.
-
- (Autograf plots the data, then prompts you for labels for the x and y
- axes, and an overall label for the graph. If you don't want any of these
- labels, just type <CR> at the prompt.)
-
- That's it! In the above example, we did things the long way around to
- show you a little about how the menus work. Normally, if you have a
- datafile in the standard format (i.e. X=column 1, Y=column 2),
- it's faster to type
- AUTOGRAF FILE.DAT (or FILE.DAT/N)
- at the DOS prompt. This causes Autograf to read in and automaticaly
- screen-plot FILE.DAT, and then returns to the main menu.
- If you are an experienced user, you can probably figure out
- most of Autograf's functions by browsing through the various menus.
- However, you should read the rest of the manual at the earliest
- opportunity for a complete understanding.
-
-
- Menu Overview
- -------------
- Main menu:
- ----------
-
- >Data< Axes Options Screen-plot Cursor Fits Hard-copy Massage Quit
- | | |
- | | |
- returns goes asks
- to to for
- main cursor fit
- section. info
- Return to then
- main menu back
- with to
- Esc main
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Data menu:
- ----------
- >Read-more-data-from-disk< Write-massaged-version-of-FILE.DAT-to-disk
- | |
- | |
- Filename? then Filename? then
- Data entry submenu Data output submenu
- Data entry submenu:
- >Read-it< X-scale/shift Y-scale/shift Sort Column-specification
-
- Data output submenu:
- >Write-it< Restrict-range-of-output-points
-
- Axes menu:
- ----------
- >X-set< Y-set Zoom No-rescale Log-plots Refresh Auto-scale Main-menu
-
- Options menu:
- -------------
- >Line< Symbol Plot/config-save Restore-plot/config
- OR
- >No-line< Symbol Plot/config-save Restore-plot/config
-
- Hard-copy menu:
- ---------------
- >Plotter< Screen-dump HPGL-file
-
- Plotter submenu:
- >Go< Char-size Plotter-setup Symbol Data-Labels Y-label-angle
-
- Plotter-setup sub-submenu:
- >Speed< Plot-size Com-port-#
-
- Speed sub-sub-submenu:
- >Paper< Transparency Numeric
-
- Plot-size sub-sub-submenu:
- >Standard< Expand/shrink Top-(half) Bottom Left Right Quad Manual-set
-
- Massage menu:
- -------------
- >Math< Examine Rearrange Drift Help Point-range Back-to-main
-
- Math submenu:
- >Multiply< Add Exponentiate Invert RMS
-
- Examine submenu:
- >List-comments< Add-comments Review-data
-
- Rearrange submenu:
- >Sort< Flip Point-#-convert Interpolate 3-d
-
-
- Quit menu:
- ----------
- >Exit-autograf< Reset Cancel
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Data
- ____
-
- Autograf does not support typing in data from the keyboard.
- Data files must be in ASCII format. This format is used by most
- editors and home-written software, and is available as an optional output
- format on all good spreadsheets. If you're not sure whether your files are
- in ASCII, type TYPE FILE.DAT<CR> at the DOS prompt (where FILE.DAT is
- the name of your file). If what comes out on your screen is legible, the
- file is ASCII.
- The maximum allowable number of points (x-y pairs) in each data file
- is 16300. (However, you may plot several files, each of which has 16300
- points.) Autograf can handle files with up to 10 columns, and up to 9
- datafiles per session.
- Please see the 5-min introduction for more about standard format and
- inputting.
-
- Data menu:
- __________
- >Read-more-data-from-disk< Write-massaged-version-of-FILE.DAT-to-disk
- | |
- | |
- Filename? then Filename? then
- Data entry submenu Data output submenu
-
- The next paragraph describes a feature which may be of interest to only a
- small number of users. Feel free to skip it and proceed to the section
- on the Data entry submenu .
-
- Theorypoly--a special "Datafile"
- --------------------------------
- If you select Read-more-data-from-disk and then type in
- theorypoly
- when Autograf asks you
- Name of datafile (/N if no comments)?
- then, instead of trying to read a file from disk, Autograf will take
- you to a special section where it will create a pseudo-"datafile" by using a
- 6th order polynomial: Y= C(0) + C(1)*X + C(2)*X^2 + C(3)*X^3 +... . It will
- display the current values for each of the C's. (These will all be 0 unless
- you have used the Fits selection, or have used Theorypoly previously.)
- To change a particular C, enter its number at the prompt.
- Autograf will then prompt you for the new value, and update the screen. For
- example, if you wanted the polynomial Y= 1.23 - 4.5*X then, when Autograf
- prompts you Change? you would type 0<CR> . Autograf would prompt you
- C(0)=? and you would respond 1.23<CR> . Then you would run through a similar
- procedure to specify 4.5 for C(1). In order to fit all the C's on the screen,
- Autograf displays them in rounded-off form. The internal values, however, are
- kept exactly as you typed them in (up to 16 digits of precision).
- When you have finished setting all the C's
- to their desired values, press <CR> when Autograf prompts you Change? .
- You will then be taken back to the main menu, where you can Screenplot,
- Massage, etc., just as if you'd read in the data from disk.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Data entry submenu:
- >Read-it< X-scale/shift Y-scale/shift Sort Column-specification
-
- All entries on the data entry menu affect only the incoming data.
- They have no effect on data which has already been read in.
- *X-scale/shift (or Y-scale/shift) allows you to multiply the incoming X
- (or Y) values by a constant and/or add a constant.
- *Sort sorts the incoming data in order of increasing X. This is not a
- very efficient sort in this version, so it may take a while on files with
- more than 400 points.
- Note that both scale/shift and Sort can be accomplished after the
- data has been read in by using the Massage menu.
- *Column-specification allows you to specify the columns for the X an Y
- values, instead of using the default values of column 1 for X and column 2
- for Y. For example, you could specify column 4 for X and column 3 for Y.
- Autograf can handle files with up to 10 columns.
-
-
-
- Data output submenu:
- >Write-it< Point-range-restrict
-
- This submenu only becomes available after you have read in data.
- *Write-it tells Autograf to proceed to write the current dataset
- (the one most recently read in and massaged) to disk.
- *Point-range-restrict allows you to restrict which points will be
- written out. This way, you could, say, write out only the first 100
- points, or points 213 to 675.
-
- Axes menu:
- ----------
-
- >X-set< Y-set Zoom No-rescale Log-plots Refresh Auto-scale Main-menu
-
- Changes made in this menu will not take effect until you exit to the
- Main menu, except for Zoom, Refresh, and Auto-scale.
- *X-set (or Y-set) allows you to specify the minimum and
- maximum values on the X (or Y) axis. When you exit back to the main menu,
- the screen will be updated to reflect your choices. Autograf will
- sometimes set the axes to cover a slightly larger range than you have
- specified, so as to allow for sensible increments on the grid tics.
- Whenever you set an axis, auto-scaling for that axis is turned off (though
- the other axis will still be autoscaled).
- *Zoom allows you to move the cursor on the screen to define an area
- to zoom in on. First, you will be prompted to move the cursor (it looks like
- a "+") to one corner of the box you want to zoom in on, using the up,
- down left, and right arrow keys (or Shift-arrow keys for faster movement).
- Then you will press C . Then you'll be prompted to move the cursor to the
- diagonally opposite corner of your desired area (for example, if the first
- corner was at the lower left, you'll move to the upper right), and press the
- Esc key. When you exit back to the main menu, the screen will show
- approximately the area you defined with the cursor (see above). See the
- part of the manual on the Cursor section for more information about moving the
- cursor. You may use the cursor's point-jumping mode for zooming.
- *No-rescale turns off the automatic rescaling which is done, if
- needed, when new data is read in. This selection is equivalent to setting
- the X and Y axes at their current limits.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- *Log-plots allows you to select logarithmic X and/or Y axes. You
- must make this selection before doing any screen-plots! In the next upgrade
- (which may be available by June 1, 1989), you will be able to switch back and
- forth between linear ond log plots.
- *Refresh redraws the screen.
- *Auto-scale turns the automatic scaling for both axes back on. This is
- useful, for instance, if you have zoomed in on an area, and then want to zoom
- back out.
- *Main-menu takes you back to the main menu.
-
- Options menu:
- -------------
- >Line< Symbol Plot/config-save Restore-plot/config
- OR
- >No-line< Symbol Plot/config-save Restore-plot/config
-
- *Line (or No-line) draws a straight line (or erases it) between the
- datapoints.
- *Symbol allows you to select a different symbol from the default.
- Any character is allowable (e.g. "a" or "M"). The characters T, S, and D are
- special cases; T corresponds to a triangle, S to a square, and D to a diamond.
- You make select no-symbol (i.e. light only one pixel per point) by typing
- "." at the prompt. Datafiles with more than 300 points automatically have
- no symbol, unless you select one for them. (Note that each symbol can only
- be screen-plotted in one color, yellow for triangles, red for squares,
- etc. If you change the symbols from their defaults, this can mean that the
- symbols will be a different color on the screen than the points at their
- centers (or the lines connecting them, if you have selected Line ). However,
- when plotted on an HPGL plotter, the symbol will be drawn in the same color
- as the center point or connecting line.)
- *Plot/config-save allows you to save the current Autograf
- configuration, including the data (see next paragraph), to a disk-file. You
- can do this at any point, even before you've read in any data. (You will not be
- allowed to save when you've read in data but not yet Screen-plotted it.)For
- instance, if you often use the same X and Y axes, and don't want them changed,
- you could set them using the Axes menu, save that configuration, and then
- Restore it each time you started Autograf. You may save as often as you wish.
- If you are in the midst of a complicated session, you could save it, shut down
- your computer, come back later, and restore it. Saving after a hardcopy will
- save all the information about the hardcopy, including labels, etc., so that,
- at a later time, you can easily generate another copy, or modify it first.
- If you will never use more than 16300 datapoints total in a given
- session (totalling all files), then skip this paragraph! When less than
- 16300 points have been read in, Autograf holds them all in memory, and the
- plot/config file which you save contains all the data. Once you exceed
- 16300 points, Autograf only remembers the names of the data files. This
- reduces the amount of disk space you need to save a plot, assuming you
- would keep the original data files on disk anyway. This means that when
- you restore a plot/config file for a session with more than 16300 points,
- you must have all of the datafiles (or massaged files) on disk, in the
- same directories as they were when you saved. Also, if you do any
- massaging during a session in which you expect to exceed 16300 points total,
- you should save the massaged version to disk before reading in
- any more data (Autograf will remind you to do this), and Autograf will
- force you to save it before doing anything which causes a screen refresh, e.g.
- doing a Hard-copy.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- *Restore-plot/config restores Autograf to exactly the same
- conditions as when a previous save was done.
-
- Screen-plot:
- ------------
-
- When you make this selection, the most recently-read in dataset
- is screen-plotted (along with any previous datasets). If necessary, Autograf
- will automatically rescale the screen-plot to accommodate the new data (if you
- haven't turned off the autoscaling, or set your own axes). A label appears at
- the bottom of the screen showing the filename, with the symbol being used to
- show it in parentheses (T=triangle, S=square, D=diamond).
-
- Cursor section:
- ---------------
- The cursor is a crosshair (looks like + ) which you can move around
- using the arrow keys on your keypad. It provides a convenient way of reviewing
- the exact values of your data points, as well as performing other
- special-purpose functions. The cursor works in two different modes,
- Point-jumping and Free. The mode is displayed in the lower right corner of your
- screen. The cursor starts off in point-jumping mode.
-
- Cursor Point-jumping mode:
-
- The cursor begins positioned on the first point in the current datafile
- (the last file read in). The coordinates of this point are displayed in the
- lower left corner of the screen. All the commands available are displayed on
- the screen.
- Pressing the right arrow key moves the cursor
- to the second point in the datafile (note that, depending on your data, point
- #2 might actually be to the right, left, above, or below point #1). Holding
- down the right arrow key scans the cursor "forward" through your data (i.e.
- towards the end of it), while holding down the left arrow scans it "backward"
- (toward the beginning). If you first hold down the Shift key, and then press
- one of the arrow keys, the cursor will move ten points at a time, instead of
- one point at a time.
- Pressing the Esc key returns you to the main menu.
- The next two paragraphs deal with special-purpose features of the Cursor
- section, Point-jumping mode. Feel free to skip them and proceed to the section
- on "Cursor Free Mode".
- Pressing S causes Autograf to seek the next "reversal" in the x-value
- trend of the datapoints. That is to say, it looks at the points immediately
- after the one where the cursor is positioned, determines whether their x-values
- have an increasing or decreasing trend, and then scans forward through the
- dataset looking for a reversal in that trend. If it finds one, it moves the
- cursor there. Consider the dataset represented schematically below (the numbers
- refer to the number of each point, the X's to the X-axis, and the Y's to the
- Y-axis).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Y
- Y
- Y
- Y 1
- Y 2
- Y 3
- Y 4
- Y 5
- Y 6
- Y 12 7
- Y 11 8
- Y 9
- Y 10
- Y
- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
- Assume the cursor is at point 1, and that you give the S command. Autograf
- scans the points after #1 (points 2, 3 and 4), determines that their x-values
- are increasing, then scans forward to find where the x-values begin to
- decrease. It finds this reversal at point 6, and so it moves the cursor there.
- If you issue another S command at this point, Autograf scans points 7, 8, and
- 9, determines that their x-values are decreasing, then scans forward through
- the rest of the data (points 10, 11, and 12) to find where the x-values begin
- to increase. There is no such place, so it prompts you:
- Reversal not found (<CR> to continue)
- and leaves the cursor on point 6.
- Pressing I inserts a break-point at the point on which the cursor is
- positioned. This has only two effects: 1) it changes the screen color of the
- center point (or connecting line) for all points after the break-point (the
- color of the symbol around the center point stays the same), and 2) it causes a
- pause when you later make a plotter hardcopy, allowing you to change pens or
- specify a different pen for the data after the break-point. All other
- operations, including massaging, are not affected by break-points. You may set
- up to nine break points per file. To avoid confusion, you should set them in
- order (e.g., don't first set a break at point #200 and then set one at point
- #113, but rather first set the break at #113 and then the one at #200).
-
- Cursor Free Mode:
-
- By pressing F , you change the cursor from Point-jumping to Free mode.
- The mode appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. Once in free mode,
- the cursor will move anywhere on the screen, not just from datapoint to
- datapoint. The following commands are available in this mode (they are
- displayed on the screen to remind you):
- Arrow-keys (left, right, up, and down) move the cursor. Its coordinates
- are displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. By holding down the
- shift key before pressing an arrow key, you can make the cursor move in bigger
- steps.
- The Esc key returns you to the main menu.
-
- Fits:
- -----
- You will be prompted for minimum and maximum values of X. Then, Autograf
- will fits any data points in the range you have specified to a straight line,
- and plot this line on the screen. Note: the line drawn is only a screen image.
- It will not be reproduced on a plotter hardcopy. If you want it to come out on
- the plotter hardcopy, then use the "Theorypoly" datafile (see section on Data
- above). The Fits section automatically transfers its data to the Theorypoly
- section, so you don't need to set the C(0) and C(1) manually.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Hard-copy menu:
- ---------------
- >Plotter< Screen-dump HPGL-file
-
- *Plotter brings you to the Plotter submenu.
- *Screen-dump allows you to format the screen a little more nicely
- before you do a screen-dump. You can type in axis labels and an overall
- label for the graph.
- *HPGL-file directs Autograf to send plotter commands to a disk file,
- rather than to a plotter. This is only useful if you have a high-quality
- printer and HPGL emulation software for it. For instance, if you have an
- HP LaserJet printer, the program "LaserPlotter" (available from MicroMath
- Scientific Software 801-943-0290) will take the HPGL command file which is
- output by Autograf and change it into a format suitable for high-quality
- LaserJet output. After prompting you for the name of the HPGL command file,
- Autograf will take you to the Plotter menu. Proceed just as if you were
- actually connected to a plotter (i.e. make your Char-size ,etc. selections,
- if desired, and then select Go ).
-
- Plotter submenu:
- >Go< Char-size Plotter-setup Symbol Data-Labels Y-label-angle
-
- This menu is only useful if you have an HPGL Plotter (or HPGL emulation
- software). All selections on this menu affect only the plotter output (except
- the Symbol, which you can also set using the Options menu). Note that you
- don't need to select anything here other than Go to get a standard plot.
- *Go tells Autograf to go ahead and begin plotting
- *Char-size allows you to specify the size of the charaters used for
- the labels.
-
- Plotter-setup sub-submenu:
- >Speed< Plot-size Com-port-#
-
- Speed sub-sub-submenu:
- >Paper< Transparency Numeric
-
- This sub-sub-submenu sets the pen speed.
- *Paper sets the pen to its maximum speed (default).
- *Transparency sets it to a slower speed, suitable for drawing on
- transparencies.
- *Numeric allows you to specify any speed you want.
-
- Plot-size sub-sub-submenu:
- >Standard< Expand/shrink Top-(half) Bottom Left Right Quad Manual-set
-
- This sub-sub-submenu sets the overall size of the plot.
- *Standard sets to the default size, whcih takes up most of an 8&1/2
- by 11 sheet.
- *Expand/shrink allows you the make the plot bigger or smaller, while
- keeping it centered on the page.
- *Top-(half) (or Bottom) puts the plot on the top half (or bottom
- half) of the page.
- *Left (or Right) puts the plot on the left (or right) half.
- *Quad puts the plot into one of the four quadrants on the page
- (upper right, lower left, etc.).
- *Manual-set allows you to use the P1 and P2 controls on your plotter
- to place and size the plot however you like. P1 is the lower left corner
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- of the plot, P2 the upper right. See your plotter manual for more details.
-
- Com-port-# allows you to set which serial port your plotter is connected to.
-
- *Symbol (on the Hard-copy menu) allows you to specify the symbol for
- each dataset (you can also do this using the Symbol selection under the
- Options menu), whether it should be open or filled, and the size of all the
- symbols (standard size is 1).
- *Data-labels allows you to specify that you want labels of the form
- (Symbol)=(you type in a label)
- drawn on the plot. You may also specify where on the plot these labels will be
- drawn: the upper-left corner, the lower-right, etc. For all labels
- (data-labels, axis-labels, and graph-label), you may use subscripts by
- enclosing them in square brackets. For instance, R[x] would come out as a
- normal-sized R with a smaller x as a subscript. You may use superscripts by
- enclosing them in inverted square brackets, e.g. R]super[ .
- *Y-label-angle lets you specify whether the label for the Y-axis should be
- written horizontally (default) or vertically. If you use horizontal labels,
- then, if any single word in your label is too long, part of the label will
- not be displayed because there isn't enough room for it in the left margin.
- The exact maximum length depends on your choice of Plot-size , Char-size ,
- and the number of subscripts and superscripts in it. For standard-sized
- characters, a standard-sized plot, and no subscripts or superscripts, the
- maximum number of characters in a given word is eight. (Subscripts and
- superscripts take up less space than ordinary characters.) If you are in doubt
- as to whether a particular word will fit, hyphenate it, and put a space after
- the hyphen, e.g. hyphen- ate . Autograf automatically breaks up a horizontal
- Y-axis label into its component words, by looking for the spaces between
- words, and typesets the label accordingly. The next major version of Autograf
- will warn you if the label you have typed in contains any word which are too
- long. (This version may be available be June 1, 1989.)
-
- After plotting all of your datasets, Autograf will prompt you for labels
- for the x and y axes, and for an overall label for the graph. If you don't
- want one of these labels, just type <CR> at the prompt. (If you have already
- done a different plot during the session, Autograf will remember the labels you
- used and offer them as defaults. In this case, typing <CR> would accept this
- default, so if you don't want any label, type a space followerd by <CR>.)
-
- Massage menu:
- -------------
-
- >Math< Examine Rearrange Drift Help Point-range Back-to-main
-
- Massaging is only allowed for linear plots (i.e. not for log-log or
- semi-log plots). This deficiency will be remedied in the next upgrade, which
- may be available as early as June 1, 1989.
- Massaging only affects the current dataset (the last one read in).
- Most of the functions in the Massage menu can be applied to either
- the X or the Y values. For example, using the Math submenu, you can add a
- constant to either the X's or the Y's. Autograf will prompt you as
- appropriate to find out which you want. In the following discussion, XorY
- means your choice of X or Y. All functions which affect the data
- automatically generate a comment which will appear at the beginning of the
- output file (that is, if you decide to output the massaged version of your
- data to disk, and if the input file had comments-- if it didnt't, comments
- will not be added to the output file). For example, if you have selected
- Add (from the Math submenu), you decide to add to the X's, and the constant
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- you are adding is 5.2, the automatically-generated comment will be
- X + 5.2
- Autograf will also ask you for explanatory comments after such operations.
- Your response (if any) to this question will be enclosed in parentheses in
- the output file. Say, in the above example, you answer
- Compensate for zero offset
- when Autograf prompts you for a comment. Then, the comments generated by
- the operation would be
- X + 5.2
- (Compensate for zero offset)
- Most of the information which follows about massaging is available by
- selecting Help .
-
- Math submenu:
- >Multiply< Add Exponentiate Invert RMS
-
- *Multiply XorY -> XorY * constant
- *Add XorY -> XorY + constant
- *Exponentiate XorY -> (XorY)^constant
- *Invert XorY -> 1/(XorY)
- *RMS You specify a range of X-values, then Autograf
- calculates the average Y for all points in that range, and
- the RMS deviation from that average (or from some other
- baseline specified by you).
-
- Examine submenu:
- >List-comments< Add-comments Review-data
-
- *List-comments review the comments for the last
- datafile read in, including a record of a massaging done.
- *Add-comments add comments for the output file
- *Review-data allows you to type in a point number, and then Autograf
- will display its coordinates.
-
- Rearrange submenu:
- >Sort< Flip Point-#-convert Interpolate 3-d
-
- *Sort sorts the data in order of increasing X. This sort is not
- very cleverly implemented in this version, so it may take a while for
- datasets of more than 400 points.
- *Flip invert the order of the data points, so that the first point
- becomes the last and the last becomes the first.
- *Point-#-convert replace one of the columns of data with the point #
- *Interpolate add more data by linearly interpolating between each
- pair of points. (Note that it is not necessary to use this command to
- generate a straight line between points-- use the Line selection on the
- Options menu for that.)
- *3-d add x and y offsets to specified segments of the data to
- produse a pseudo-three-dimensional plot. Your data should be in the
- following format to use this feature: several traces (listed one after
- the other in your data file, with no breaks between) over the same range
- of x-values. Before using the 3-d massage option, the several traces
- should lie on top of one another. They are assumed each to have the same
- number of points. The function of the 3-d option is to
- separate them. This is represented schematically below, where the a's
- represent one trace, the b's another, and the c's a third, while the X's
- represent the X-axis and the Y's the Y-axis
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Y Y c
- Y Y c
- Y Y c c
- Y Y b c c c
- Y Y b c c c
- Y Y b c b c
- Y a Y a b b b
- Y b Y a b b b
- Y c c -------> Y a b a b
- Y a b a Y a a a
- Y b a b Y a a a
- Y c c Y a a
- Y Y
- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-
-
-
-
- Drift:
- Let's assume you have a dataset in which you have swept the X
- variable up and then back down (with time passing during the sweep), but the Y
- variable at the end of the sweep doesn't match its value at the beginning.
- Depending on your experiment, the difference could be due to zero drift. In
- trying to compensate for the effects of drift, the simplest possible assumption
- is that the zero drifted at a constant rate during the course of the
- experiment. This is what the Drift selection does. In this example, when
- Autograf asks you
- Initial Y baseline (i.e. subtract how much from first Y)?
- you would type in
- 0<CR>
- Then, when Autograf asks you
- Final Y baseline (i.e. subtract how much from last Y)?
- you would type in the difference between the Y you measured at the end of
- your sweeps up and back and the Y you measured at the beginning. Say this
- difference is 30. Autograf would subtract numbers, which started at 0 for the
- first point and increased linearly to 30 for the last point from the Y-values.
-
-
- Help
- This selection brings you to a series of help messages for the massage
- menu, which are displayed, line by line, at the bottom of the screen. To
- scroll through them, use the keypad (up and down arrow keys, Pg Up, Pg Dn,
- End and Home). Exit back to the Massage menu by pressing E .
-
- Point-range
- Use this selection to restrict the range of points to which your next
- selection on the massage menu will be applied. The restriction will only
- apply to the very next function. If you go back to the Main-menu before
- choosing a subsequent function, the restriction will be cancelled. For
- example, you could use the Point-range selection, followed by Math and
- Add to add a constant to only points #213 to 453.
-
- Back-to-main
- Returns you to the main menu. If you have made any changes to the
- data, Autograf will automatically update the screen at this point.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Quit menu:
- ----------
- >Exit-autograf< Reset Cancel
-
- *Exit-autograf returns you to DOS.
- *Reset resets Autograf to its start-up configuration, erasing the
- screen and all data in memory.
- *Cancel returns you to the main menu.
-
-
- Telephone support:
- ------------------
-
- Unregistered users are allowed one session of telephone support
- (though, if we are unable to resolve your question at that time, we may
- allow more). If you have questions which cannot be answered by the
- manual, call Walter F. Smith at (617) 628-3964 (6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
- eastern time only). This number is valid only until Sept. 1, 1989. Once
- you become a registered user, you will be kept up to date on the phone
- number for quickest service. (The address listed on the registration form
- is permanent.)
-
-
- Registration Information
- ------------------------
- Autograf (TM) is a copyrighted program protected by both U.S. and
- international copyright law. You are authorized to use it for a limited
- period of time under the terms of the Autograf license agreement. After
- this time is up, you must register and pay for Autograf to continue using
- it. This method of distribution is known as "shareware". It allows you
- to determine whether Autograf meets your need before you pay for it.
- The registation fee for a single copy of Autograf is $15. Payment of
- this fee entitles you to:
-
- *A disk containing the latest version of Autograf and its manual,
- registered to you.
-
- *One free upgrade to the next version of Autograf, and reduced rates on
- future upgrades.
-
- *Continued technical support via mail or telephone.
-
- *Inclusion on our mailing list, so that you will receive announcements of
- upgrades and new products.
-
- Discounts for large quantity license purchases are available; contact
- Walter F. Smith for more information.
-
- The form below is available separately in the file AGREG.FRM for your
- convenience.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Autograf Registration Form
-
- Return to: Walter F. Smith
- R.D. 1
- Petersburg, NY 12138
-
-
- Autograf version 127
- Quantity Price
- Disk containing latest update and manual
- and next update ($15) ________ ________
- (Sales tax included where required.)
-
- Shipping outside US ($5) ________ ________
-
- Total enclosed ________
-
- Please specify 5.25____ or 3.5____ diskette.
-
- Check here to have us contact you about large quantity purchases _____.
-
- Terms: All payments must be in U.S. funds, and must be made by check,
- cashier's check, or money order. Personal checks may be subject to bank
- clearance delay before shipment.
-
- Name: _____________________________________________
-
- Company: _____________________________________________
-
- Address: _____________________________________________
-
- _____________________________________________
-
- _____________________________________________
-
- Phone (optional): ( ) -
-
- I have read and agree to abide by the Autograf license agreement:
-
-
- (Signature) _____________________________________________________
-
-
- Where did you get Autograf? ___________________________________________
-
- Please use the back of this page for any comments or suggestions.
-
- ______________________________________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Autograf license agreement
-
- YOU MUST READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE USING AUTOGRAF.
- USING AUTOGRAF INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
-
- (1) The Autograf program and all other programs and documentation
- distributed or shipped with it are copyrighted works protected by U.S. and
- international copyright law. In the rest of this document, this
- collection of programs and documentation is referred to simply as "Autograf".
- You are granted a license to use your copy of Autograf only under the
- terms and conditions specified in this license agreement.
-
- (2) Autograf is a commercial software package. It is not free, and is
- not in the public domain. It is distributed as shareware, which means
- that, before you pay for the package, you may try it and see if you want
- to continue using it. You may use Autograf free for a trial period of up
- to 21 days. If you wish to continue using Autograf after that period, you
- must pay a registration fee. If you choose not to pay the registration
- fee, you must stop using Autograf and remove it from your computer, though
- you are still free to keep copies and pass them along to others.
-
- (3) You may use your copy of Autograf on a single computer. You may
- also install it on a computer attached to a network, or remove it from one
- computer and install it on another, provided there is no possibility that a
- single copy of Autogarf will be used on more than one computer at a time.
-
- (4) You may copy Autograf for backup purposes, and you may give
- unmodified copies to other individuals, which they may also use and copy
- under the terms of this agreement. You may also copy Autograf onto
- publicly-accessible "electronic bulletin-boards", as long as the
- "bulletin-board" onto which you copy it is not devoted exclusively to
- "public-domain" software ("public-domain" is different from "shareware").
- Others may obtain a copy of
- Autograf from such "bulletin-boards", which they may use and copy under
- the terms of this agreement. If you copy Autograf for others, or copy it
- onto a "bulletin-board", you must include all of the files distributed
- with it (i.e.: AUTOGRAF.EXE, AGMANUAL.DOC, AGREADME.DOC, AGREG.FRM, and
- AGSAMPLE.DAT).
-
- (5) Once you obtain a license for use of Autograf beyond the 21-day
- trial period, you may transfer ownership of your license to another person,
- provided that, when you do so, you stop using Autograf, remove it from
- your computer, and notify Walter F. Smith of the new owner.
-
- (6) You may NOT distribute Autograf other than by passing individual
- copies to friends and associates for their individual use, and by copying
- it onto publicly-accessible "electronic bulletin-boards" (as restricted above).
- Specifically, you may NOT place Autograf of any part of the Autograf package
- in any commercial library without express written permission from Walter F.
- Smith, and you may not distribute for a fee, or in any way sell copies of
- Autograf of any part of the Autograf package. Under no circumstances may
- Autograf be sold or distributed with another product without the express
- written permission of Walter F. Smith.
-
- (7) Autograf is a powerful program. While we have attempted to build in
- reasonable safeguards, if you do not use Autograf properly, you may
- destroy files or cause other damage to your computer software and data.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- You assume full responsibility for the selection and use of Autograf to
- achieve your intended results; in no event shall Walter F. Smith or Martin
- G. Forrester be responsible for any damages whatsoever due to errors in
- usage or your failure to read, understand, or follow instructions in the
- documentation.
-
- (8) Limited Warranty
-
- This program is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either
- expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties
- of merchantibility and fitness for a particualr purpose. The entire risk
- as to quality and performance of the program is with you. Should the
- program prove defective, you assume the entire cost of all necessary
- servicing, repair, or correction. Some states do not allow the exclusion
- of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This
- warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other
- rights which vary from state to state.
-
- Walter F. Smith warrants the diskette on which a registered copy of the program
- is furnished to be free from defects in the material and workmanship under
- normal use for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of delivery to
- you as evidenced by a copy of your receipt. The defective diskette must
- be returned to Walter F. Smith for this warranty to be effected.
-
- (9)Limitations of remedies
-
- Walter F. Smith's and Martin G. Forrester's liability and your exclusive
- remedy shall be:
- - The replacement of the diskette if you have met the conditions as
- described under "Limited Warranty" OR
- - A full refund if Walter F. Smith is unable to deliver a diskette free
- from defects in materials or workmanship.
-
- In no event will Walter F. Smith or Martin G. Forrester be liable to you
- for any damages including any lost profits, lost savings, or other
- incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to
- use such program even if Walter F. Smith or Martin G. Forrester has been
- advised of the possibility of such damages or any claim by any other party.
-
- Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for
- incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion
- may not apply to you.
-
- (10)You may not sublicense, assign, or transfer the license or the limited
- warranties of the program except as expressly provided in this agreement.
- Any attempt otherwise to sublicense, assign, or transfer any of the
- rights, duties, or obligations hereunder is void.
-
- (11) If you do not agree with these terms and conditions, you do not have
- permission from the copyright holders to use Autograf, and you must stop
- using it and remove it from your computer.
-
- (12) Any use or distribution of Autograf which violates this license
- agreement will be considered a copyright violation, and proscuted to the
- full extent of the law.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Should you have any questions concerning this agreement, you may contact
- Walter F. Smith by writing to:
-
- Walter F. Smith
- R.D. 1
- Petersburg, NY 12138
-
- You acknowledge that you have read this agreement and understand it and
- agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. You further agree that it
- is the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between us which
- supercedes any proposal or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other
- communications between us relating to the subject matter of this agreement.
-