# $Id: README,v 1.2 1998/03/06 05:50:22 lance Exp lance $

*******  LanceMan's QuickPlot  **  README  ********************

On HP-UX edit the makefile for 'build'.
On LINUX, and IRIX no edits needed for 'build'.
I haven't tryed it on SUN's, or any other machine types yet.
It uses the standard C, X11, Xt, Xaw and math (m) libraries.

To build:
	make

To test it try this in the make directory:
        ./test_data | ./quickplot

to see options
	./quickplot --help
or
	man -M `pwd`/man quickplot

To install:
	Edit the INSTALL_DIR macro in the file "Makefile"
        then 'make install'.

This will install the files:
  bin/quickplot bin/test_data man/man1/quickplot.1 man/man1/test_data.1
  in INSTALL_DIR.

That's it!

##################################################################
Send me an e-mail if you like
quickplot@kachinatech.com
##################################################################


############### quickplot Hype:

The quickplot homepage is at: http://www.kachinatech.com/~quickplot/
See alot of related stuff at: http://SAL.KachinaTech.COM/D/1/

Why did I write this program?
I needed a plotter that I could look at very large data sets
with.  I mean about 1 million plus points plotted.  But you say
"How can you look at a million data points on a screen that
has only 1.3 million pixels."  I say, "Easy, just swim through the
data using quick zooming."  It works fine for small data sets too.


I call it quickplot. Engineers and scientists will like it.  It's yet
another 2-D plotter.  It's fast and easyer to use than most.  I know it
will become a standard if people find out about it.  It's a low feature
plotter that lets you "swim through" your data quickly.  I like'n it to
"a zooming pager for data".   It's not too much like gnuplot.  I use
gnuplot too, and gnuplot can't swim through your data quickly like
this.  It does one job very well.  It gives you a quick look at all your
data, even when you don't have a clue of what your data looks like.


What about GNUPLOT?
GNUPLOT is great. It is a full feature plotter.
Quickplot is not a full feature plotter.
After the plot is generated with GNUPLOT you can no longer
interact with it.  Quickplot plot windows are interactive.
GNUPLOT plot windows are not interactive.
In general GNUPLOT is a better plotter than Quickplot.
But, if you don't have a clue what your data looks like, Quickplot
can show you it more quickly .....
If you have 50 plus 2-D plots to look at and compare, Quickplot
can show you it quickly all on one plot or not .....


features         quickplot       gnuplot       most_other_plotters
--------         ---------       -------       -------------------
zooming          yes!            no            haven't seen it yet
shell pipe in    yes!            not directly  no
maximum # plots  no limit        ??            ??
command_options  yes plot and X  Just X        don't know
auto_scale       yes             yes           yes
PS output        no              yes!          yes
lots_of_stuff    no              yes           yes


########### quickplot TO DO LIST

Add plot editing for function plot mode
Add fancy window bar and other jazZing up
Add x=0 y=0 axes then there is one scale
Add Max and Min values to value window
Add pipe to stdout or files with the edit mode
Add more colors for multi-plots > 12, more then a crapy rainbow
Add configure (not needed yet)
Add it to debian Linux
Make it a red hat RPM
Add more speed optimization for very large plots
  by reading in data in blocks at start up
  instead of a line at a time
Look at other plotters and get better accessment of quickplots
  use.

*******************************************
* This is GNU CopyLefted (GPL)
* See file: 'LICENSE' for more information
*******************************************

Lance Arsenault
