The size (width) of the profile (cross-section) can now be set with a map scale size. The existing Size (pixels ) is still available.
Display Options -- Plot Size
Setting the profile size with the Scale (1: ) option allows profiles to be saved at a set map size. This option is useful when presenting a profile with the map from which it was generated. If the map is presented at a scale of 1:2000, an associated profile can also be saved at a scale of 1:2000.
The size, in inches, of the output profile is displayed in red below the Scale (1: ) option.
Plot files can now be saved to a single PNG image or a series of PNG tiles. The single PNG image is saved at the same size as the display canvas. The PNG tiles are saved by breaking the plot into a user-defined series of tiles.
Profile Output as Tiles (3)
Saving the plot to a series of tiles allows for printing a single plot over multiple pages.
New
The Profile Plotter now uses Cairo Graphics to handle image saving. As a result, Postscript (ps) and Portable Document Format (PDF) files are now supported.
Plots created with Profile Plotter can be saved and reloaded at a future time. The plots are saved as a simple XML file that contains all the settings needed to re-create the plot. Instead of re-loading multiple data files and customizing the display, the user simply reloads a previously saved XML plot file.
Multiple Profiles at Same Size
The XML plot file does not contain the plot data, but rather a link to the original ASCII data.
Saving a plot to an XML file allows for easy creation of multiple plot images with identical parameters (i.e. width, height, annotation). The example on the right shows a sequence of profiles across an ice scour. The profiles are all the same size (scale) allowing for easy comparison.
The GTK+ Profile Plotter has numerous options to control the plot appearance. From the main window, the vertical exaggeration of the plot can be set. This will effect the height of the plot image. The width of the plot is set by the user.
From the Options dialog, the user can set the plot variables.
Options Dialog
These plot variables include:
- XY Axis grid and grid labels.
- XY Axis min/max values.
- XY Axis labels.
- Line color legend.
- Grid line color.
- Font control for annotations and labels.
- Plot size (width) in pixels.
From the Data Options dialog, the user can set display properties for each loaded dataset. These Data options include:
Data Options Dialog
- Legend label (default = filename).
- Line color.
- Line thickness.
The GTK+ Profile Plotter currently accepts 6 formats of space separated ASCII data. These formats include:
Data Import Dialog
- Distance Depth RGB (color).
- Distance Depth.
- Easting Northing Distance Depth RGB (color).
- Easting Northing Distance Depth.
- Distance Depth1 Depth2.
- Easting Northing Distance Depth2 Depth2.
The RGB columns expect data formatted as RRR:GGG:BBB.
Other profile (cross-section) formats will be added as required or requested.
Introduction
The GTK+ Profile Plotter is a stand-alone program designed to plot geographic cross-section data in a variety of formats. The Profile Plotter reads distance, elevation, and optionally color. The elevation plots relative to the distance, at a user controlled vertical exaggeration.
GTK+ Profile Plotter
The program was originally developed to handle output from the GRASS program r.profile with the “-c” flag set. The original concept was to create a color-coded cross-section at a user defined vertical exaggeration that matched the GRASS raster map.
The program accepts numerous ASCII, space separated data. The Profile Plotter has been tested on both Linux and Windows XP systems.
Features
The Profile Plotter features include:
- Support for 5 ASCII data formats.
- Control for vertical exaggeration and image/plot size (pixels).
- Control of plot options including: axis min/max, axis color, and axis grid size.
- Save and open eXtensible Markup Language (XML) plot files.
- Save profile image as a Portable Network Graphics (PNG).
- Save over-sized profile image to tiles for printing over multiple pages.
The features listed above plus new features will be described in greater detail with future postings.
New
Added set profile size according to map scale option.
June 17, 2009
