Re: clunky fn plots

[<pl...@pi...>]

On 10/11/11 19:21, sfeam (Ethan Merritt) wrote:
> On Tuesday, 11 October 2011, pl...@pi... wrote:
>> On 10/11/11 18:42, sfeam (Ethan Merritt) wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, 11 October 2011, pl...@pi... wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I was under the impression that plotting functions and data in the same
>>>> plot command meant the interval for the fn plot would follow the
>>>> datafile.
>>>
>>> The sample interval for function plots is controlled only by the
>>> "set sample" and "set isosample" commands.   There is no connection to
>>> the number or location of points in any of the data plots.
>>>
>>> 	Ethan
>>>
>>
>> Many thanks Ethan .
>>
>> in fact my college had just discovered that setting via wgnuplot's menus
>> . It would have taken me a lot longer on linux digging blindly thought
>> the help.
>
> Then the most useful thing might be for you to suggest where in the help
> system to add this information.  Where did you look first?  Would that be
> a logical place to add mention of "set sample"?

Well , I think that is half (most of ) the discovery problem. Why would 
I think of looking for sample or set sample without already know the answer?

This term is presumably short for sample rate, but when a _user_ is 
thinking of plotting a function he will not consider that he is 
"sampling".  The term does not evoke what it does.

"help function" is very terse and does not deal directly with plotting 
functions nor does it direct you to that sort of info with a "see also".

"help plot" does not even have a subtopic about functions.

help plot > ranges does not cover it either, though there would be some 
logical reason to look there.

Indeed , could this actually be set as a extension to the range specifier ?


Any , or perhaps all those places could be used to at least point the 
user with a "see also" comment.

I hope those suggestions are useful.

best.






>
>> Is there a particular reason this is such a course setting by default. ?
>> I've often been frustrated by quality when working with functions and I
>> would imagine most users would be too, or more likely confused by odd
>> effects that happen with things like sine plots with many cycles displayed.
>>
>> Since most PCs will be operating with at least 600x800 window, wouldn't
>> sample 1000 be a better choice?
>
> No default value will be ideal for all purposes.
> Setting a large number would have disadvantages for point plots,
> for 3D surface rendering, for the file size of vector output
> (eps svg emf ...) and for the computational time if the function
> is complicated (for example spinning the plot in 3D becomes slow).
>
> 	Ethan
>