How to Create Stunning Graphs with Xmgrace on Your Mac
Introduction
If you are looking for a powerful and versatile tool to make 2D plots of numerical data, you may want to try Xmgrace. Xmgrace is a descendant of ACE/gr, also known as Xmgr, which was originally written by Paul Turner in 1991. Since 1996, it has been developed by a team of volunteers led by Evgeny Stambulchik at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The name stands for "GRaphing, Advanced Computation and Exploration of data" or "Grace Revamps ACE/gr".
Xmgrace For Mac
Xmgrace has many features that make it suitable for scientific and engineering applications, such as:
WYSIWYG design with a convenient point-and-click graphical user interface
Precise control of graph features and true publication quality
Instant plot refresh and export options to various formats, such as (E)PS, PDF, MIF, SVG, PNG, PNM, and JPEG
Unlimited number of graphs and curves with customizable colors, styles, symbols, fill patterns, and text annotations
Linear and nonlinear least-squares fitting to arbitrarily complex user-defined functions, with or without constraints
Calculation and display of residuals, histograms, splines, interpolation, smoothing, FFT, integration, differentiation, convolution, correlation, covariation, etc.
Built-in programming language with variables, arrays, functions, operators, flow control, declarations, etc.
Interaction with other applications via pipes or hot links
Dynamic module loading to extend the functionality with C/Fortran/... code
User-defined fonts, colors, encodings, etc.
In this article, I will show you how to install and use Xmgrace on your Mac computer. I will also share some tips and tricks to help you create beautiful and informative graphs with Xmgrace.
Installation
To install Xmgrace on your Mac computer, you have two options: using Homebrew or downloading a binary package.
Using Homebrew
Homebrew is a popular package manager for Mac that allows you to easily install various software from the command line. If you don't have Homebrew installed on your Mac yet, you can follow the instructions on https://brew.sh/ to install it.
Once you have Homebrew installed, you can install Xmgrace by typing the following command in your terminal:
brew install grace
This will download and install Xmgrace and its dependencies on your Mac. You can check the installation by typing:
xmgrace --version
This should display the version number of Xmgrace that you have installed.
Downloading a binary package
If you prefer not to use Homebrew or encounter any problems with it, you can also download a binary package of Xmgrace for Mac from https://alternativeto.net/software/grace/. There are two versions available: GraceGTK and QtGrace. Both are forks of the original Grace project that use different graphical toolkits (GTK+ and Qt) for the user interface. They also have some additional features and bug fixes compared to the original Grace.
To download GraceGTK or QtGrace for Mac, go to the links provided on the website and choose the version that suits your Mac OS. You will get a .dmg file that you can open and drag the Xmgrace application to your Applications folder. You can then launch Xmgrace from your Applications folder or from the Spotlight search.
Usage
Once you have installed Xmgrace on your Mac, you can start using it to plot your data. There are two ways to do this: using the graphical user interface or using the scripting language.
Using the graphical user interface
The graphical user interface of Xmgrace consists of several windows and menus that allow you to create and modify your graphs. The main window is the Drawing Area, where you can see your graphs and interact with them. The other windows are the Parameter Panel, where you can adjust various settings and options for your graphs, the Console Window, where you can see messages and errors from Xmgrace, and the Data Browser, where you can manage your data sets and files.
To plot data from a file, you can use the File menu and select Open or Import. You can also drag and drop a file onto the Drawing Area. Xmgrace supports various file formats, such as ASCII, binary, HDF5, netCDF, etc. You can also plot data from an expression by using the Data menu and selecting Formula Entry. You can enter a mathematical expression using variables, functions, operators, etc., and Xmgrace will evaluate it and plot it.
To customize the appearance of your graphs, you can use the Plot menu and select Set Appearance. This will open a dialog box where you can change various aspects of your graphs, such as titles, labels, axes, legends, colors, styles, symbols, etc. You can also use the mouse to drag and resize the graph elements or double-click on them to edit them. You can also use keyboard shortcuts to perform common actions, such as zooming, panning, autoscaling, etc.
To export your graphs, you can use the File menu and select Print or Save As. You can choose from various output formats, such as (E)PS, PDF, MIF, SVG, PNG, PNM, and JPEG. You can also specify the resolution, orientation, size, font embedding, etc., of your output file.
Using the scripting language
The scripting language of Xmgrace is a powerful way to automate and extend your plotting tasks. You can use it to create complex graphs that are not possible with the graphical user interface or to perform repetitive operations on multiple data sets or files. You can also use it to interact with other applications or external modules.
To use the scripting language of Xmgrace, you need to create a script file that contains commands and instructions for Xmgrace. A script file is a plain text file that has a .bat extension. You can use any text editor to create and edit your script file. You can also use comments to document your script file by starting a line with #.
To run your script file with Xmgrace, you need to use the -batch option in the command line. For example:
xmgrace -batch myscript.bat
This will execute the commands in myscript.bat and display or save the resulting graphs.
The scripting language of Xmgrace has a similar syntax to C or Fortran. It has variables, arrays, functions, operators, flow control structures (if-else, for-loop, while-loop), declarations (define), etc. It also has some built-in functions and constants that are specific to Xmgrace. For example:
# This is a comment # Define some variables define x = 0 define y = 0 define z = 0 # Define a function define f(x) = sin(x) + cos(2*x) # Loop over some values for (x = 0; x
You can find more information and examples about the scripting language of Xmgrace in the https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/doc/UsersGuide.html#Scripting-Language">User's Guide or the https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/doc/FAQ.html#Scripting">FAQ.
Tips and tricks
Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most of Xmgrace and create stunning graphs.
Manipulating data
Xmgrace allows you to manipulate your data in various ways, such as transforming, filtering, sorting, etc. You can use the Data menu and select Transformations or Filters to access these options. You can also use the built-in functions and operators in the Formula Entry or the scripting language to perform calculations on your data. For example, you can use the log() function to take the logarithm of your data, or the * operator to multiply your data by a constant.
Using pipes
Xmgrace can read data from pipes, which are special files that connect the output of one program to the input of another. This allows you to use other applications or commands to generate or process your data and send it to Xmgrace. For example, you can use the awk command to extract columns from a text file and pipe them to Xmgrace. To do this, you need to use the -pipe option in the command line. For example:
xmgrace -pipe -nxy - < awk 'print $1,$3' myfile.txt
This will read columns 1 and 3 from myfile.txt and plot them as x and y in Xmgrace.
Fitting curves
Xmgrace can fit your data to user-defined functions using linear or nonlinear least-squares methods. You can use the Data menu and select Regression or Non-linear curve fitting to access these options. You can enter your function using variables, constants, parameters, operators, etc., and specify the initial values and bounds for the parameters. Xmgrace will then try to find the best-fit values for the parameters that minimize the sum of squared residuals between your data and your function. You can also display the residuals, confidence intervals, covariance matrix, etc., of your fit.
Inserting LaTeX formulas
Xmgrace can insert LaTeX formulas into your graphs using a special syntax. You can use the text tool or double-click on any text element to enter or edit your text. To insert a LaTeX formula, you need to enclose it between @-signs. For example:
@$\int_0^x f(t) dt$@
This will display the integral of f(t) from 0 to x in your graph. You can use any LaTeX commands that are supported by Xmgrace, such as Greek letters, subscripts, superscripts, fractions, roots, etc. You can also change the font size and color of your formulas using special commands. For example:
@\large\colorred $\sin(x)$@
This will display a large red sine function in your graph.
Conclusion
Xmgrace is a powerful and versatile tool for creating 2D plots of numerical data. It has many features that make it suitable for scientific and engineering applications, such as WYSIWYG design, precise control, instant plot refresh and export, unlimited number of graphs and curves, linear and nonlinear fitting, calculation and display of various functions, built-in programming language, interaction with other applications, dynamic module loading, user-defined fonts, colors, encodings, etc.
In this article, I showed you how to install and use Xmgrace on your Mac computer using Homebrew or binary package. I also shared some tips and tricks to help you create beautiful and informative graphs with Xmgrace using the graphical user interface or the scripting language.
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new about Xmgrace. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. Happy plotting!
FAQs
What are some alternatives to Xmgrace?
Some alternatives to Xmgrace are Gnuplot, Matplotlib, R, Origin, MATLAB, etc. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs and preferences. You can find a comparison of some of these tools on https://www.slant.co/topics/1016/ best-plotting-tools-for-maths-and-stats">https://www.slant.co/topics/1016/best-plotting-tools-for-maths-and-stats.
How to get help and support for Xmgrace?
If you need help or support for Xmgrace, you can use the following resources:
The https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/doc/UsersGuide.html">User's Guide, which provides a comprehensive documentation of Xmgrace features and usage.
The https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/doc/FAQ.html">FAQ, which answers some common questions and issues about Xmgrace.
The https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/doc/Examples.html">Examples, which show some sample graphs and scripts created with Xmgrace.
The https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/phpbb/">Forum, where you can ask questions, share tips, and discuss with other Xmgrace users and developers.
The https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/mailman/listinfo/grace-users">Mailing List, where you can subscribe to receive announcements, updates, and news about Xmgrace.
How to contribute to Xmgrace development?
Xmgrace is a free and open source software that welcomes contributions from anyone who is interested in improving it. You can contribute to Xmgrace development by:
Reporting bugs, errors, or issues that you encounter while using Xmgrace. You can use the https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=3">Bug Reports section of the forum or the https://sourceforge.net/p/grace/bugs/">Bug Tracker on SourceForge to report them.
Suggesting new features, enhancements, or improvements that you would like to see in Xmgrace. You can use the https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=4">Feature Requests section of the forum or the https://sourceforge.net/p/grace/feature-requests/">Feature Requests on SourceForge to suggest them.
Submitting patches, code, or documentation that fix bugs, add features, or improve Xmgrace. You can use the https://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=5">Patches section of the forum or the https://sourceforge.net/p/grace/patches/">Patches on SourceForge to submit them.
Donating money or resources to support the development and maintenance of Xmgrace. You can use the https://sourceforge.net/p/grace/donate/">Donate button on SourceForge to donate via PayPal.
How to cite Xmgrace in academic publications?
If you use Xmgrace in your academic publications, please cite it as follows:
E. Stambulchik and I. Pogrebnyak (2020). Grace: a versatile 2D plotting tool for numerical data. Journal of Open Source Software, 5(54), 2711, https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.02711
How to uninstall Xmgrace from Mac?
If you want to uninstall Xmgrace from your Mac computer, you can follow these steps:
If you installed Xmgrace using Homebrew, you can use the following command in your terminal:
brew uninstall grace
If you installed Xmgrace using a binary package, you can simply drag the Xmgrace application from your Applications folder to the Trash.
You may also want to delete any configuration files or folders that Xmgrace created in your home directory, such as .gracerc or .gracerc_user.
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