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Article #7143

Re: Mathematical graphing?

#7143
From: Jim Prouty
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1989 16:49
192 lines
8162 bytes
I've seen a program which may interest you.  Igor is a graphics program
from WaveMetrics for the Mac, which is specifically research-oriented and
provides publication-quality graphs.

MacWeek reviewed Igor in their April 18, 1989 and July 11, 1989.
WaveMetrics recently released version 1.1 that added capabilities and
addressed some user's complaints.

The product announcement from WaveMetrics:

WaveMetrics is proud to introduce Igor, a powerful graphing and data
analysis program for the Macintosh. Igor is designed for experimentation
with numeric data and production of publication quality scientific
and engineering graphs.

Here are some unique features of Igor.

	It is FAST. Graphs are updated almost instantly.

	Number and length of data sets are limited only by available memory.

	Each variable and data array can individually be single or double
	precision, real or complex.  

	Imports data via text files or via the clipboard. You can also
	synthesize data using mathematical expressions.

	Graphs can contain any number of data sets, each with it's own color
	and line style (including true dashed lines).

	Graphs are printed at the highest available resolution of your printer.

	You can print multiple graphs per page, overlay graphs and print
	poster-sized graphs.

	Supports linear, log/log and semilog graphs with up to four axes per
	graph.

	Labels and annotation can use sub/superscripts and any combination
	of fonts, sizes and styles.

	Graphs support zooming, panning, auto and manual scaling.
	
	Each graph can have its own cursors and cursor information panel
	providing dynamic readout of several quantities (including delta-X
	and delta-Y when two cursors are in use).
	
	Tick marks are always labeled intelligently even under pathelogical
	conditions.
	
	Most errors encountered during the execution of a user's macro
	can be corrected on-the-fly.

	Data analyses include:
		manipulation of data with straightforward mathematical
		expressions which can draw upon more than 80 functions

		linear curve fitting to lines & polynomials; non-linear
		fits to sines, exponentials, double exponentials, Gaussians
		and Lorentzians.  Igor can automatically provide initial
		coefficients for the non-linear fits.

		FFTs and IFFTs on real and complex data

		smoothing

		histogram generation

		integration and differentiation

		descriptive statistics

		searching and sorting
		
		very powerful and flexible waveform arithmetic

	All operations can be invoked from dialogs, from structured macros
	or from a command line.  You can write a simple macro to load your
	data from a file, make a graph with styles of your choice and
 	print the graph.


Igor runs on a Mac Plus, SE, II or IIx. It requires a minimum of two
floppy drives and 600K of available memory. It supports the 68881
math coprocessor, color, large screens and multiple screens. It
requires version 3.2 or later of the Macintosh operating system
and supports MultiFinder including background processing.

Igor is available immediately from WaveMetrics. The single quantity
price is $195 plus shipping. Quantity discounts and site licenses
are available.

For more information contact:

	WaveMetrics
	P.O. Box 2088
	Lake Oswego, OR  97035
	(503) 635-8849
	AppleLink D1832

---------
I've enclosed reviews by some current Igor users:

In <1944@virginia.acc.virginia.edu>, David E. Hustk writes:
        I've used Cricket Graph and KaleidaGraph for the last 
three months and Igor for about a week, and as of now I would
have to recommend Igor.
        It has the the ability to do laserwriter resolution
in all graphics modes(i.e. scatter,line etc.) it is very 
simple to attach labels headings,etc. to the graphs.  It's
Pagemaker friendly, has a very powerful macro's language/processor,
and has built in Fourier transform,inverse Fourier transform,
differentiation, integration, sorting, smoothing,curve
fitting (poly,exp,gauss etc),x and y error bars and a host of 
other features.
       In addition it has one of the best written and consise
instruction manuals I've seen.  The price isn't bad either
at $195.00 and if this isn't enough you get a 30 day 
unconditional guarantee.(If you don't like it send it back.)
       I have no connection with the above product other 
than liking it a great deal.
                        DEH7g@Newton.virginia.edu
                        Physics Dept. UVa

And another review from Info-Mac Digest:

Date: 20 Feb 89 13:18:00 EST
From: "ZZT" <zzt@stc10.ctd.ornl.gov>
Subject: more Mac graphing

I too have found Cricket Graph to have annoying limitations (inability to 
mix symbols and ordinary text, subscripts, superscripts, slow on a 
Mac II...).  Recently, we purchased a new program called Igor from Wave 
metrics for a little (a very little) under $200 that may be useful for many 
people.  Its main advantage seems to be for automatically producing plots 
of basically similar sets of data.  Igor is basically a laboratory assitant 
that takes data (text files) and produces pretty good plots.  It uses a 
standard Macintosh interface such as pull down menus etc., but in a 
slightly different manner.

     Whenever you make a selection, rather than just executing your choice,
a command is automatically entered in a small window, executed, and saved
in a "history" window.  The commands in the history window can be later
move to a macro window and edited to create a procedure for use at some
later time.  In fact, you can set things up so that upon running Igor a data
file is read in, the data curves are analyzed (scaling, Fourier Transform,
fit to Lorentzian...), the data are plotted, and then printed.  Although at
first the user interface appears daunting, it is only slightly different;
you can still do everything from dialogs and pull down menus.  Appearently 
everything that the program can do, can be done either by standard menus 
and dialogs, or by commands.

     The limitations in Igor that I have encountered are:

-- selection of markers is too limited, and they cannot be easily sized
-- axis labels cannot be positioned, and often appear too far away for me
-- error bars are possible, but not easy

     Particular advantages of Igor are:

-- can mix symbols, text, superscripts, and subscripts in text boxes
-- ability to save ALL features of a plot for use with another set of data
-- can AUTOMATICALLY process data (much of my data is fit to two gaussian
     curves) and automatically put results (mean, FWHM,...) into text boxes
-- ability to print two graphs on the same page, even on top of each other
-- can accept data, analysis, graphing, and printing commands from a single
     TEXT file.  Thus your PDP-11 can take data and generate a file with
     EVERYTHING you need for a picture
-- doing mathematical operations on data is very easy, and there is plenty
     to choose from (even special functions such as bessel functions)

Note, these opinions are mine, and are unconnected to Wave Metrics or my
employer.  I just use programs.

Jon Tischler, ORNL
DDN:    zzt@stc10.ctd.ornl.gov
Bitnet: zzt@ornlstc

[...]
End of Info-Mac Digest
******************************



Disclaimer:  My only connection with WaveMetrics is that some friends of mine
             work there and I have a copy of Igor.

Jim Prouty
Quantitative Technology Corporation   "A man is not the sum of his possessions."
8700 SW Creekside Place
Beaverton, Oregon   97005
(503)-626-3081      tektronix!sequent!qtc!jim 
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From: jim@qtc.UUCP (Jim Prouty)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Mathematical graphing?
Message-ID: <500@qtc.UUCP>
Date: 25 Oct 89 16:49:10 GMT
References: <864@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> <20200061@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: jim@qtc.UUCP (Jim Prouty)
Organization: Quantitative Technology Corporation, Beaverton OR
Lines: 192