Plot-file format
Plot files have a name ending with plt.
They contain vector-type information.
This means that they specify where to move a drawing device, and where to
draw a line from the previous point.
Plot files are plain text files. They may be changed with a
text editor.
Make it pretty: change the diagram.
Plot-file format:
Each line contains three integers (I1, I2 and I3) in positions 1 to 9.
Comments may be written from position
10 to the end-of-line.
The first number in each line is an integer in position 1
(this number is called here I1).
It may have the following values:
I1 |
= 0 | move to |
|
= 1 | draw a line to |
|
= 5 | change the colour to
(for screen display) |
|
= 8 | change the pen number to
(for plotters or printers) |
The second number (I2) is given in position 2 to 5.
The meaning of this value depents of the value of I1:
If |
I1 = 0 |
then: |
I2 = X-coordinate in units of 0.1 mm |
|
I1 = 1 | |
I2 = Y-coordinate in units of 0.1 mm |
|
I1 = 5 | |
I2 = screen colour |
|
I1 = 8 | |
I2 = printer pen number |
The third integer (I3) is given in positions 6 to 9.
The meaning of this value also depents of the value of I1:
If |
I1 = 0 |
then: |
I3 = X-coordinate in units of 0.1 mm |
|
I1 = 1 | |
I3 = Y-coordinate in units of 0.1 mm |
The values of I2 and I3 must be right-adjusted, i.e.,
blanks may exist to the left of the value, but not to the right
of it. Values in the range −999 to 9999 are possible.
For example, to draw a triangle:
|
0 0 0 Comment:
5 2 a triangle
11000 0
5 3
110001000
5 4
1 0 0 |
|
 |
Several plot-file examples
may be found in examples sub-directory.
Make it Pretty: Change the Diagram
The present versions of SED and
PREDOM write information
in plt files about the diagram
and about the text labels (chemical formulas etc).
This information is written as comments
starting from column 10, and it is used by the programs
SPANA,
PlotPDF,
PlotPS, etc.
With a text editor it is possible to add, delete or move
text labels using the information in
these comments.
Structure of the diagram: Comments starting with
--
indicate the start of different parts of the diagram:
-- AXIS --,
-- HEADING --, etc.
This makes it possible to search quickly for different parts of a diagram.
Taking away all lines between two such comments will remove that part of a
diagram.
Text labels: They start with a comment TextBegin
(for chemical formulas a C is added: TextBeginC).
The variables I2 and I3
described above indicate the x- and y-coordinates.
Text labels end with the comment TextEnd. For example:
|
011721245 TextBeginC size= 0.35 cm, angle= 0.00
0 0 0 [MoO4 2−]`TOT´ = 10.00 mM
....
0 0 0 TextEnd
|
will insert [MoO42−]TOT =
10.00 mM at x = 11.72 cm and
y = 12.45 cm.
It is easy to change the text, its size, to move it, etc
For chemical formulas: A special algorithm is used to determine which
characters should be super- or sub-script:
- Electric charges for aqueous ions can be written
as either a space followed by the charge (Fe 3+, CO3 2−,
Al(OH)2 +) or as a ±-sign followed by a number
(Fe+3, CO3−2, Al(OH)2+).
For ±1 charges, the sign may be given with or without
a space between the charge and the name: Na+, HCO3− or
Na +, HCO3 −
-
Super- and subscripts may be given with apostrophes, e.g.:
x´2`. Note: @ may be used to bring
the next character to the baseline (the @ itself is then removed);
this may be used in names containing digits, see example below.
- Symbols in chemical formulas:
ˆ = Δ;
$ = µ; and
˜ = °.
Example:
|
0 50 50 TextBeginC size= 0.35 cm, angle= 0.00
0 0 0 ^H`f'~ = 5 kJ'.`mol'-1` P`CO2'= 3$bar t=25~C
0 0 0 TextEnd
0 50 150 TextBeginC size= 0.35 cm, angle= 0.00
0 0 0 x'2` + v`i'@ - log`10'X = 1.35'.`10'-3` for Fe@35Cr
0 0 0 TextEnd |
produces:
