Axes

Axis attributes, such as labels, color, and scaling, can also be modified using the Axes panel.

The panel is displayed when the Axes button, , is selected, or when you click on an axis label in the HyperGraph 2D window. You can also access the panel from the Annotations menu or toolbar.



Figure 1. Axes Panel - XY Plot


Figure 2. Axes Panel - Bar Chart


Figure 3. Axes Panel - Complex Plot


Figure 4. Axes Panel - Polar Plot - Magnitude


Figure 5. Axes Panel - Polar Plot - Phase

The options available on the Axes panel depend on the current plot type: XY Plot, Bar Chart, Complex Plot, or Polar Plot.

Axis List

Every xy plot has a primary horizontal axis and a primary vertical axis. The primary axis is the default axis. The Axis list enables you to add up to five horizontal and five vertical axes. It consists of the Axis option menu and the list of axes names. Axes can be added, cut, copied, and pasted using the buttons displayed below the axis list. Axes can also be copied and pasted between windows.

Every bar chart has a primary (vertical) axis and a category (horizontal) axis. The primary axis is the default axis. Similar to xy plots, the Axis list enables you to add up to five additional (six total) vertical axes. The Axis list consists of the Axis option menu and the list of axes names. The primary axes and any additional vertical axes can be added, cut, copied, and pasted using the buttons displayed below the axis list. Axes can also be copied and pasted between windows.
Note: The category axis label can be renamed, however it cannot be added, deleted, copied, or pasted. You can change the names of the categories on the Define Curves panel.
Every complex plot has one primary horizontal axis and one primary vertical axis. Complex plot axes can be renamed, but they cannot be copied, pasted, deleted, turned off, or moved.
Note: Primary axes can be copied, pasted, and renamed, but they cannot be deleted or moved.
Axis Attributes
Individual axes can be turned on and off. When an axis is turned off, the curves associated with the axis are also turned off. To turn off an axis, select if from the axis list and deselect the Axis check box.
Label
The axis label is a single line of text displayed alongside the axis in the HyperGraph 2D window. It is automatically updated in HyperGraph 2D when you enter a new name on the Text tab.
For bar charts, labels can be placed over both stacked and clustered bars.
For polar plots, the axis label is automatically updated when you enter a new name in the Label field.
For the r axis, the label is displayed along and under the "0" line between the center and the right side of the circle.
For the theta axis, the label is displayed below and outside the circle.
Note: Import templates can be written that specify the text for axis labels. This enables axis labels to be automatically included when plots are constructed using the Reports panel.
See Import Templates for more information on import templates.
Color
Any of the 64 colors can be assigned to the axes. Select an axis from the Axis list and then select a color from the palette to instantly change the color of the axes.
For Polar Plots, select the r axis or theta axis tab select a color from the palette to instantly change the color of the axes.
Click Use Preferences to set the axes to the default color specified in the preferences.mvw file.
Note: See Preference Files for more information on specifying defaults in the preferences.mvw file.
Multiple Axes
Multiple axes allow you to easily view curves of different scales on the same plot by assigning the data vectors to separate appropriately scaled axes. Data vectors are assigned to axes using the Scales, Offsets, and Axis Assignment panel for XY Plot.
For Bar charts, they are assigned using the Curve Attributes panel > Axis Attributes tab.
Note: Complex plots and polar plots do not support multiple axes.

On the Axes panel, the curve name is defined by a Templex expression instead of a fixed string. The Templex expression is visible in the editable fields only. In non-editable fields, the evaluated expression is displayed. In most cases, the evaluated expression should match the text that was hard-coded in previous versions.

Please see Dynamic Curve Names for more information on this topic.

Scaling Axes

Axes can be represented by a linear scale, a logarithmic scale, a dB10 scale, or a dB20 scale.

Each axis can be represented by a different scale. Use the radio buttons to select the appropriate scale for each axis. For bar charts, the category (horizontal) axis cannot be represented in this way. Refer to the following table to view the scale types available for complex plots:
Axis Type
Scale Type Options
X Axis
Linear
Logarithmic
Y Axis
For Phase – Linear
For Magnitude - Linear, logarithmic, dB10, dB20
For Real - Linear, logarithmic, dB10, dB20
For Imaginary - Linear, logarithmic, dB10, dB20

For the r axis, the circular axis lines are spaced to match the chosen setting. For the theta axis, linear scale is the only option.

For the r axis, when you change the Min and Max, HyperGraph 2D updates the circular grid line values to match the new max and min. The minimum value may be negative for radar plots.

For the theta axis, HyperGraph 2D evenly distributes the range of values around the circle, theta = 0 to theta = 360. HyperGraph 2D does not display the maximum value because it would overlap the minimum value. For radar curves, HyperGraph 2D connects the last value to the first value.

When a curve is constructed, the minimum and maximum axis values are set so that the curve fits in the window by default. When you select a different axis scale type, the minimum and maximum values automatically change. New minimum and maximum values can be specified in the Min and Max text boxes. Altering the minimum and maximum values for an axis scales the plot along that axis.

Click Fit All, , from the 2D View Controls toolbar to return Min and Max to the default values and scale the curve to fill the window. Press return or click Apply to accept the changes. From the Lock drop-down menu, select Always to restore the current axes values when Fit is selected from the 2D View Controls.

dB10 axis scale type
Curve data is scaled using the formula Data = 10.0 * log10(Original_Data). If no curves exist on the graph, the minimum value will default to -30 and the maximum to 10.
dB20 axis scale type
Curve data is scaled using the formula Data = 20.0 * log10(Original_Data). If no curves exist on the graph, the minimum value will default to -60 and the maximum to 20.

Lock

Choose from Never, At Import, or Always.
Never
The selected axis is automatically scaled to fit new curves or bar charts that are added to the axis.
At Import
The selected axis remains scaled to fit the curve(s) currently assigned to it and it is not scaled to fit new curves.
Always
The axes are not fit with any of the operations and will always be locked.

For Bar Chart, if Lock is set Never, the axis is not scaled to fit new bar charts. When the category axis is selected from the Axis list and Lock is set to Never, you can select the categories that you want to display in the HyperGraph 2D window. Select start and end categories and click Apply. Those categories are displayed in the HyperGraph 2D window.

Horizontal labeling rotates the category text to horizontal when the X and Y-axes are flipped (X becomes the vertical axes). To flip the X and Y axes, click the Flip XY icon on the 2D View Controls toolbar.

Bar chart labels can be slanted diagonally to prevent long names from overlapping.

Axis Tics

Use the Scales and Tics tab to display axis values using one of three formats: auto, scientific, or fixed.

Auto Format
Determines the best format for displaying axis values and truncates trailing zeros.
Scientific
Expresses values in exponential form.
Fixed Format
Expresses values using a specified number of decimal places.
Note: For bar charts, the category (horizontal) axis cannot be displayed using the above formats.

The number of tics on each axis (or tics per decade if the axis is logarithmic, decibels, or dB10) is controlled by either entering a specific number or an increment.

Enter a value in each text field or use the buttons to change the current values incrementally.
Tics per axis
Select Tics per axis to add a specific number of tics.
Tic Increment
Select to add tics at specific intervals.
Grids per Tic
If using the linear axis, use Grids per Tic (or grids per decade if the axis is logarithmic, decibels, or dB10) to change the number of grid lines on the graph.

Click Apply to accept the settings.

Both fixed decimal format and scientific notation display numbers to the right of the decimal point. The accuracy of each format can be adjusted by entering a value in the Precision text field.
Attention: For Auto format, a built-in "best look" algorithm is used to present the values. In this algorithm, in many cases, the set precision may not be honored.

Precision specifies the number of digits displayed to the right of the decimal point.