MTV Plot Data Format

Version 1.4
Rev. 0

January, 1994

Kenny Toh

Technology CAD
Intel Corporation
2200 Mission College Boulevard
Santa Clara, California 95052
Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 MTV Plot Data Format .....................................................1-1

1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1-2
2 THE MTVDAT FORMAT ................................................................ 1-3
2.1 Overview ............................................................................................. 1-3
2.2 COMMANDS: Identifying Datasets ..................................................... 1-6
2.3 INSTRUCTIONS: Customizing the Plot .............................................. 1-7
2.4 ANNOTATIONS: Annotating the Plot .................................................. 1-8
3 CURVE2D FORMAT ....................................................................... 1-9
3.1 Overview ............................................................................................. 1-9
3.2 Resources ........................................................................................... 1-9
3.3 ASCII Format Specification ............................................................... 1-10
3.4 Example ............................................................................................ 1-11
3.5 Binary Format Specification .............................................................. 1-13
3.6 Programming Example ..................................................................... 1-14
4 CURVE3D FORMAT ..................................................................... 1-15
4.1 Overview ........................................................................................... 1-15
4.2 Resources ......................................................................................... 1-15
4.3 ASCII Format Specification ............................................................... 1-16
4.4 Example ............................................................................................ 1-17
4.5 Binary Format Specification .............................................................. 1-19
4.6 Programming Example ..................................................................... 1-20
5 COLUMN FORMAT ...................................................................... 1-21
5.1 Overview ........................................................................................... 1-21
5.2 Resources ......................................................................................... 1-21
5.3 ASCII Format Specification ............................................................... 1-22
5.4 Example ............................................................................................ 1-23
6 CONTCURVE FORMAT ............................................................... 1-27
6.1 Overview ........................................................................................... 1-27
6.2 Resources ......................................................................................... 1-27
6.3 Format Specification ......................................................................... 1-28
6.4 Example ............................................................................................ 1-29
7 CONTOUR FORMAT .................................................................... 1-31
7.1 Overview ........................................................................................... 1-31
7.2 Resources ......................................................................................... 1-31
7.3 Uniform Grid Format Specification .................................................... 1-33
7.4 Example ............................................................................................ 1-34
7.5 Non-Uniform Grid Specification ........................................................ 1-37

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 8 4D GRID FORMAT ........................................................................ 1-39
8.1 Overview ...........................................................................................1-39
8.2 Resources .........................................................................................1-39
8.3 Format Specification .........................................................................1-41
8.4 Example ............................................................................................1-42
9 VECTOR FORMAT ....................................................................... 1-44
9.1 Overview ...........................................................................................1-44
9.2 Resources .........................................................................................1-44
9.3 Format Specification .........................................................................1-45
9.4 Example ............................................................................................1-46
9.5 Programming Example ......................................................................1-48
10 PROBABILITY PLOT FORMAT .................................................. 1-49
10.1 Overview ...........................................................................................1-49
10.2 Resources .........................................................................................1-49
10.3 Format Specification .........................................................................1-50
10.3.1 Single Column Format: Compute Probabilities ...................1-50
10.3.2 Double Column Format: Read Probabilities ........................1-53
11 HISTOGRAM FORMAT ................................................................ 1-56
11.1 Overview ...........................................................................................1-56
11.2 Resources .........................................................................................1-56
11.3 ASCII Format Specification ...............................................................1-57
11.4 Example ............................................................................................1-58
12 BARCHART FORMAT .................................................................. 1-60
12.1 Overview ...........................................................................................1-60
12.2 Resources .........................................................................................1-60
12.3 ASCII Format Specification ...............................................................1-61
12.4 Example ............................................................................................1-61

APPENDIX A MTV Plot Resources ........................................................A-1

1 PLOT RESOURCES ....................................................................... A-2
2 PLOTSET RESOURCES ................................................................ A-3
2.1 Overview ............................................................................................ A-3
2.2 Resource Specification ...................................................................... A-5
3 3D VIEW RESOURCES ................................................................. A-9
3.1 Overview ............................................................................................ A-9
3.2 Resource Specification .................................................................... A-10
4 DATASET RESOURCES .............................................................. A-12
4.1 Overview .......................................................................................... A-12
4.2 Resource Specification .................................................................... A-14
5 CURVE RESOURCES .................................................................. A-19
5.1 Overview .......................................................................................... A-19

ii MTV PLOT DATA FORMAT Version 1.4 Rev. 0 7/15/94

 5.2 Resource Specification .....................................................................A-21
6 GLOBAL CURVE RESOURCES ................................................. A-22
6.1 Overview ...........................................................................................A-22
6.2 Resource Specification .....................................................................A-24
7 CURVE RESOURCE EXAMPLES .............................................. A-25

APPENDIX B MTV Annotations ............................................................ B-1

1 ANNOTATIONS ...............................................................................B-2
1.1 Overview .............................................................................................B-2
1.2 Resource Specification .......................................................................B-5
1.3 Example ..............................................................................................B-7

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CHAPTER 1 MTV Plot Data Format

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MTV Plot Data Format

1 INTRODUCTION

The MTV plot data format, or MTVDAT format, is used to specify data to be plotted in the PLOTMTV
visualization program. The most important feature of this format is that multiple types of data may be specified
in a single file or data-stream, thus avoiding the proliferation of data-files of various formats. As of this date,
the MTVDAT format includes the following types of data:
• 2D Curves
Connected sets of (x, y) points in 2D space
• 3D Curves
Connected sets of (x, y, z) points in 3D space
• 3D Contour Curves
3D Triangles/rectangles to be contoured
• 3D rectangular mesh data
Z-values on a rectangular x-y grid, used primarily for contours
• 4D volumetric data
T-values on a rectangular x-y-z grid
• 2D/3D Vector data
Vectors in 2D/3D space
• Probability Graph
2D (x, y) data plotted on a probability grid
• Histogram
Frequency of occurrence of data plotted as 2D bars
• Bar Charts
Data-points represented by 2D bars

The MTVDAT format also allows the inclusion of plot-options with the data, so that the properties of the plot
may be customized.

The MTVDAT data-format is presently limited to ASCII and machine-dependent binary data.

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THE MTVDAT FORMAT

2 THE MTVDAT FORMAT

2.1 Overview
Data in the MTVDAT format is organized into sets of data, or datasets. There are different types of datasets,
corresponding to the various types of data that can be represented in the MTVDAT format, e.g., CURVE2D
datasets, CONTOUR datasets.

Datasets are identified using command lines. An command line is of the format "$ DATA=<TYPE>"; the "$"
character is the first non-blank character and is followed by a keyword specifying the type of data to be read.
The command line is followed by the plot data, written in the appropriate format. The dataset ends with the
next command line, or when a "$ END" line is encountered in the data-stream. An end-of-file (EOF) will also
signify the end of the dataset, if reading from a data-file. Thus, using command lines, multiple datasets and
multiple types of datasets can be included in a single file or data-stream.

Each dataset is assigned a number of properties, which instruct the plotting program on how to treat the data
mathematically, and on how to construct the plot of the dataset. For example, in order to plot contours of a
rectangular mesh, the plot program needs to know the contour intervals as well as labeling information for the
plot. These plot resources are by default automatically assigned by the MTVDAT reader. However, the
MTVDAT format also allows these resources to be set using optional instruction lines. Instruction lines are
identified by a percent "%" sign as the first non-blank character in the line.

Comments can also be inserted in the data-stream; comments are preceded by the pound "#" character. Plot
annotations can also be included as part of a dataset - see Appendix B for more details.

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MTV Plot Data Format

MTVDAT Special Line Identifiers

First Required Arguments Optional Type Description
Character Arguments
$ DATA = CURVE2D NAME = <name> Command Identify dataset
type
$ DATA = CURVE3D NAME = <name>
$ DATA = COLUMN NAME = <name>
$ DATA = CONTCURVE NAME = <name>
$ DATA = CONTOUR NAME = <name>
$ DATA = GRID4D NAME = <name>
$ DATA = VECTOR NAME = <name>
$ DATA = PROBABILITY NAME = <name>
$ DATA = HISTOGRAM NAME = <name>
$ DATA = BARCHART NAME = <name>
$ DATA = END Command Identify end of
data-file or data-
stream
% <argument>=<value> Instruction Set data/plot
properties
# Comment Include com-
ments
@ Annotation Plot Annota-
tions
Table 1: The MTVDAT format uses special command, instruction, command and annotation
lines to specify datasets and their properties.

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THE MTVDAT FORMAT

Both command and instruction lines consist of <argument>=<value> pairs, that is, an argument or
keyword separated from a value by an equal sign "=". In general, the argument of the
<argument>=<value> pair is case-insensitive while the value string is case-sensitive. Multiple
<argument>=<value> pairs can be specified on a single line, provided that they are separated by spaces or
tabs. Both types of lines are terminated either by a "#" character or by the end-of-line (EOLN) character.
Furthermore, command and instruction lines can be continued on a new line using the backslash "\"
character. Examples of command and instruction lines are shown below.
$ Data=Curve2d name="Curve A" # command

% linetype=1 linelabel="Hello" # instruction; multiple

# <arg>=<value> pairs may be
# placed in the same line

% LINELABEL="Hello" # arguments are case-insensitive...

% LINELABEL="HELLO" # but values are case-sensitive

% grid = ON # some values are booleans

% grid = True # valid boolean strings are
% grid = T # TRUE: "True", "T", "On"
% grid = False # FALSE: "False", "F", "Off"
% grid = off # Booleans are case-insensitive
% grid # If the value is omitted, a TRUE
# value is assigned

$ data = curve2d \
name = "Curve A" # "\" denotes a new line

% xlabel = "Hello World" # space-separated strings MUST be

# enclosed in single/double quotes
% ylabel = hello # quotes can be omitted for single
# words

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MTV Plot Data Format

2.2 COMMANDS: Identifying Datasets

Several types of datasets are currently supported, identified in the following manner:
$ DATA = CURVE2D
$ DATA = CURVE3D
$ DATA = COLUMN
$ DATA = CONTCURVE
$ DATA = CONTOUR
$ DATA = GRID4D
$ DATA = VECTOR
$ DATA = PROBABILITY
$ DATA = HISTOGRAM
$ DATA = BARCHART

Detailed descriptions and formatting information for each type of dataset are provided in the following
sections.

As described earlier, a single file or data-stream can contain one or more datasets, each preceded by a
command line. Thus, a data-file in the MTVDAT format has the following structure:
$ DATA = CURVE2D
[optional properties]
[2D curve data]
$ DATA = CURVE2D
[optional properties]
[2D curve data]
$ DATA = CURVE3D
[optional properties]
[3D curve data]
$ DATA = <TYPE>
[optional properties]
[data]
$ DATA = <TYPE>
[optional properties]
[data]
...
...
...
$ END

The command line forces the MTVDAT reader to invoke a special reader for each type of data. Thus, a "$
DATA=CURVE2D" command tells the MTVDAT reader to expect data in a CURVE2D format, which is
essentially 2 columns of data. Similarly, a "$ DATA=CONTOUR" command calls up the MTVDAT
CONTOUR reader, which reads in 3D data and calculates contour lines of equal z-values. The data read in is
saved in a dataset structure for later plotting.

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THE MTVDAT FORMAT

Datasets can also be identified using unique character strings, by including the "NAME=<label>" argument
in the command line. The following example defines two CURVE2D datasets named "Curve A" and
"Curve B" respectively.
$ DATA=CURVE2D NAME="Curve A"
0 0
1 1
2 2
$ DATA=CURVE2D NAME="Curve B"
1 0
2 0
3 0
$ END

Note that with the exception of the string used for the dataset name, the command line is case-insensitive.
Furthermore, as mentioned previously, a command can be continued on a new line using the backslash "\"
character. Thus the following commands are identical:
$ DATA=CURVE2D NAME="Curve A"
$ Data = Curve2d name = "Curve A"
$ data = curve2d \
name = "Curve A"

2.3 INSTRUCTIONS: Customizing the Plot

The properties of the data or the intended plot can also be customized by including instruction lines along with
each dataset specification. A single instruction line contains one or more <argument>=<value> pairs,
separated by spaces or tabs. The list of acceptable <argument>=<value> keywords depends on the type of
data being read; refer to Appendix A for a complete list of Plot Resources.

The example below demonstrates the use of instruction lines to set line-types and labels for curves. The
following defines a CURVE2D dataset, where the curve in the dataset has been assigned specific properties,
such as linewidth, labels, and markers.
$ DATA=CURVE2D NAME="Curve A"
% linetype=1 linewidth=2 linelabel="Cv 1"
% markertype=3 # Draw the markers too
0 0
1 1
2 2
$ END

Note in the above that the command line is similar in form to the instruction line, the primary difference
being that the command line begins with a "$" character and the instruction line begins with a "%" character.

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MTV Plot Data Format

2.4 ANNOTATIONS: Annotating the Plot

Plot annotations, such as text labels, arrows and lines, may also be attached to sets of data using annotation
lines. Annotations are specified in the data-file as strings beginning with the "@" character. Multiple
annotations can be specified in each dataset. Furthermore, each annotation can be specified in data (world)
coordinates or in plot coordinates.

As with instruction lines, an annotation line contains one or more <argument>=<value> pairs, separated
by spaces or tabs. The list of acceptable <argument>=<value> keywords is specified in Appendix B.

The example below demonstrates the use of annotations to place a label and an arrow pointing to one of the
data-points within the plot.

$ DATA=CURVE2D NAME="Curve A"

% linetype=1 markertype=4 markersize=2

0 0
1 1
2 2

# Arrow annotation syntax:

# @ arrow P1 P2 [properties]
#
# P1--------------->P2
# label

@ arrow x1=1.30 y1=0.70 x2=1.03 y2=0.97 linelabel="Mid Point"

$ END

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CURVE2D FORMAT

3 CURVE2D FORMAT

3.1 Overview
The CURVE2D format is used to specify a list of joined points in 2D (x, y) space. A CURVE2D dataset may
contain one or more curves, each of which contain one or more points.

3.2 Resources
The CURVE2D format accepts the standard list of Plot Resources, which are listed in Appendix A. By
default, each curve in the dataset is plotted in a continuous solid line and individual points are not marked; use
Curve Resources for changing these and other curve properties. In addition, the CURVE2D format accepts the
following resources:

CURVE2D Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

boundary Boolean False True/False Enlarge plot boundary
binary Boolean False True/False Machine-dependent binary
npts int - - Binary array size

boundary Enlarges the default plot-boundary. By default, boundary=False, and the data is plotted with
a plot-boundary equal to the data limits, i.e., the rectangular boundary on the plot falls exactly
on the minimum and maximum x-y data-values. This can obscure data-points that lie on the
boundary, however. Boundary=True enlarges the plot-boundary slightly so that all the data-
points are visible.
binary Specifies whether the curve data is written in ASCII or machine-dependent binary format. If
True, the program tries to read 2 double-precision binary arrays of size npts containing the x
and y coordinates of the points in the curve. The arrays are assumed to be on the line following
the binary=True instruction. Default is False.
npts Specifies the number of points in a curve. Used only for reading data in binary format.

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MTV Plot Data Format

3.3 ASCII Format Specification

Each curve consists of a number of (x, y) points. The coordinates and optional integer identifier (ID) of the
point must be specified on the same line as follows:
x-coordinate y-coordinate [point-ID]

Note in the above that the various fields are space or tab-separated. Each field is format-free, meaning that the
numbers may be specified using decimals, exponential or even integer formats.

The points on each curve are specified on adjacent lines. Multiple curves are separated by one or more blank
lines. The CURVE2D format thus has the following form:
$ DATA=CURVE2D

% [optional instructions]

# ASCII Curve
% [optional instructions]
x1 y1 #[point 1, curve 1]
x2 y2 #[point 2, curve 1]
...
xn yn #[point n, curve 1]

# ASCII Curve
...

$ END

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CURVE2D FORMAT

3.4 Example
The following shows an example file containing a CURVE2D dataset with 2 curves. The resultant MTV plot is
shown on the following page.

#
# The first dataset in the file is assumed to be a "CURVE2D" dataset,
# unless specified otherwise using the "DATA=TYPE" command.
#

$ DATA=CURVE2D

# Plot properties
% toplabel = "Computation Time Benchmark"
% subtitle = "Simulation time measured on a Sun SPARC"
% xlabel = "Number of Faces"
% ylabel = "CPU time (sec)"
% xmin = 0.0 # Set the plot boundaries explicitly
% xmax = 65.0
% ymin = 0.0
% ymax = 2.0

# First curve
% linelabel="Experiment"
% linetype=0 markertype=10 # Just draw markers
6 0.13
10 0.20
15 0.28
16 0.31
17 0.33
21 0.39
29 0.62
37 0.78
45 0.99
53 1.20
61 1.41

# Second curve
% linelabel="Theory"
% markertype=11
0 0
10 0.04
20 0.16
30 0.36
40 0.64
50 1.00
60 1.44

# Annotate the second curve

@ arrow x1=45 y1=0.64 x2=41 y2=0.64 linelabel="y=0.0004*x*x"

$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

Tue Dec 7 16:25:16 1993

Computation Time Benchmark

Simulation time measured on a Sun SPARC
2
Experiment

Theory
CPU time (sec)

y=0.0004*x*x

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 65
Number of Faces

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CURVE2D FORMAT

3.5 Binary Format Specification

CURVE2D datasets may also be specified in a machine-dependent binary format; this format will work only
for files produced and read on the same compute platform. The machine-dependence is a disadvantage, but it is
balanced by the fact that reading binary data can be up to 10 times faster than reading ASCII data. Note also
that when programs are exchanging data using pipes, machine-dependence becomes a moot issue, since the
pipe-linked programs must be on the same machine in order for pipes to work.

CURVE2D binary data is identified by the following instruction line:

% binary=True npts=<value>

In the above, npts is the number of points in the curve. The binary data-stream must begin on the line
immediately following the instruction line above. The binary stream consists of 2 arrays of type double-
precision which contain x and y coordinate data respectively. Each array is assumed to be of size npts. Note
that the binary format does not provide a means of specifying the point IDs.

Binary and ASCII curves may be mixed in the same file or data-stream. However, a single curve must be either
totally ASCII or totally binary; ASCII and binary formats may not be mixed in a single curve. The CURVE2D
format combining both ASCII and binary curves thus has the following form:
$ DATA=CURVE2D

% [optional instructions]

# ASCII Curve
% [optional instructions]
x1 y1 #[point 1, curve 1]
x2 y2 #[point 2, curve 1]
...
xn yn #[point n, curve 1]

# Binary Curve
% [optional instructions]
% binary=True npts=<number>
[x-coordinate binary double-precision array]1
[y-coordinate binary double-precision array]

# ASCII Curve
...

# Binary Curve
...

$ END

1. The square brackets denote an array; the brackets are not to be written out to the data-stream.

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MTV Plot Data Format

3.6 Programming Example

The following short program illustrates writing binary data in the CURVE2D format.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
main()
{
#define BINARYFILE "data.mtvdat"
FILE *fp;
double xarr[100], yarr[100];
int i, npts=100;

/* Open up a file */
if ((fp=fopen(BINARYFILE,"w")) == NULL) {
(void) fprintf(stderr,"cat: Couldn’t open file %s\n",BINARYFILE);
exit(-1);
}

/* Fill arrays */
for (i=0; i<npts; i++) {
xarr[i] = 0.1*i;
yarr[i] = cos(xarr[i]);
}

/* Write out CURVE2D header */

(void) fprintf(fp,"$ DATA=CURVE2D\n");

/* Write out binary data */

(void) fprintf(fp,"%% BINARY npts=%d\n",npts);
if (fwrite((char *)xarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1);
}
if (fwrite((char *)yarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1);
}
(void) fprintf(fp,"$ END\n");

/* Close the file */

(void) fclose(fp);
}

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CURVE3D FORMAT

4 CURVE3D FORMAT

4.1 Overview
The CURVE3D format is used to specify a list of joined points in 3D (x, y, z) space. A CURVE3D dataset may
contain one or more curves, each of which contain one or more points. Note that the CURVE3D format is
similar to the CURVE2D format except for the addition of an extra coordinate.

4.2 Resources
The CURVE3D format accepts the standard list of Plot Resources, which are listed in Appendix A. By
default, each curve in the dataset is plotted in a continuous solid line and individual points are not marked; use
Curve Resources for changing these and other curve properties. In addition, the CURVE3D format accepts the
following resources:

CURVE3D Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

boundary Boolean False True/False Enlarge plot boundary
binary Boolean False True/False Machine-dependent binary
npts int - - Binary array size

boundary Enlarges the default plot-boundary. By default, boundary=False, and the data is plotted with
a plot-boundary equal to the data limits, i.e., the cubic boundary on the 3D plot falls exactly on
the minimum and maximum x-y-z data-values. This can obscure data-points that lie on the
boundary, however. Boundary=True enlarges the plot-boundary slightly so that all the data-
points are visible.
binary Specifies whether the curve data is written in ASCII or machine-dependent binary format. If
True, the program tries to read 3 double-precision binary arrays of size npts containing the x,
y and z coordinates of the points in the curve. The arrays are assumed to be on the line following
the binary=True instruction. Default is False.
npts Specifies the number of points in a curve. Used only for reading data in binary format.

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MTV Plot Data Format

4.3 ASCII Format Specification

Each curve consists of a number of (x, y, z) points. The coordinates and optional integer identifier (ID) of the
point must be specified on the same line as follows:
x-coordinate y-coordinate z-coordinate [point-ID]

Note in the above that the various fields are space or tab-separated. Each field is format-free, meaning that the
numbers may be specified using decimals, exponential or even integer formats.

The points on each curve are specified on adjacent lines. Multiple curves are separated by one or more blank
lines. The ASCII CURVE3D format thus has the following form:
$ DATA=CURVE3D

# ASCII Curve
% [optional instructions]
x1 y1 z1 #[point 1, curve 1]
x2 y2 z2 #[point 2, curve 1]
...
xn yn zn #[point n, curve 1]

# ASCII Curve
...

$ END

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CURVE3D FORMAT

4.4 Example
The following shows an example file containing a CURVE3D dataset. This dataset has five filled curves which
make up the surfaces of a pyramid.

#
# Specify the 5 faces of a pyramid
# Paint each face with a different color
#
$ DATA=CURVE3D Name=Pyramid

% dfilltype=1 # Solid fill for each face

% pointid=True # Print point ID’s
% hiddenline=True # Apply hiddenline/hiddensurface sorting

% fillcolor=1 linelabel="South Face"

0.0 0.0 0.0 1
1.0 0.0 0.0 2
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=2 linelabel="East Face"

1.0 0.0 0.0 2
1.0 1.0 0.0 3
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=3 linelabel="North Face"

1.0 1.0 0.0 3
0.0 1.0 0.0 4
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=4 linelabel="West Face"

0.0 1.0 0.0 4
0.0 0.0 0.0 1
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=5 linelabel="Bottom"
0.0 0.0 0.0 1
1.0 0.0 0.0 2
1.0 1.0 0.0 3
0.0 1.0 0.0 4

$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

Tue Dec 7 16:31:29 1993

PLOT

Bottom

P1 South Face
1
Z−Axis

West Face
P5
East Face
0 North Face
P2
0

P4
0
Y−
Ax
Z
is
Axis
1
P3
1 X−
X
Y

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CURVE3D FORMAT

4.5 Binary Format Specification

CURVE3D datasets may also be specified in a machine-dependent binary format; this format will work only
for files produced and read on the same compute platform. The machine-dependence is a disadvantage, but it is
balanced by the fact that reading binary data can be up to 10 times faster than reading ASCII data. Note also
that when programs are exchanging data using pipes, machine-dependence becomes a moot issue, since the
pipe-linked programs must be on the same machine in order for pipes to work.

CURVE3D binary data is identified by the following instruction line:

% binary=True npts=<number-of-points>

In the above, npts is the number of points in the curve. The binary data-stream must begin on the line
immediately following the instruction line above. The binary stream consists of 3 arrays of type double-
precision which contain x, y, and z coordinate data respectively. Each array is assumed to be of size npts.
Note that the binary format does not provide a means of specifying the point IDs.

Binary and ASCII curves may be mixed in the same file or data-stream. However, a single curve must be either
totally ASCII or totally binary; ASCII and binary formats may not be mixed in a single curve. The CURVE3D
format thus has the following form:
$ DATA=CURVE3D

% [optional instructions]

# ASCII Curve
% [optional instructions]
x1 y1 z1 #[point 1, curve 1]
x2 y2 z2 #[point 2, curve 1]
...
xn yn zn #[point n, curve 1]

# Binary Curve
% [optional instructions]
% binary=True npts=<number>
[x-coordinate binary double-precision array]1
[y-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[z-coordinate binary double-precision array]

# ASCII Curve
...

# Binary Curve
...
$ END

1. The square brackets denote an array; the brackets are not to be written out to the data-stream.

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MTV Plot Data Format

4.6 Programming Example

The following short program illustrates writing binary data in the CURVE3D format.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
main()
{
#define BINARYFILE "data.mtvdat"
FILE *fp;
double xarr[100], yarr[100], zarr[100];
int i, npts=100;

/* Open up a file */
if ((fp=fopen(BINARYFILE,"w")) == NULL) {
(void) fprintf(stderr,"cat: Couldn’t open file %s\n",BINARYFILE);
exit(-1);
}

/* Fill arrays */
for (i=0; i<npts; i++) {
xarr[i] = 0.1*i;
yarr[i] = cos(xarr[i]);
zarr[i] = sin(xarr[i]);
}

/* Write out CURVE3D header */

(void) fprintf(fp,"$ DATA=CURVE3D\n");

/* Write out binary data */

(void) fprintf(fp,"%% BINARY npts=%d\n",npts);
if (fwrite((char *)xarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1);
}
if (fwrite((char *)yarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1);
}
if (fwrite((char *)zarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1);
}
(void) fprintf(fp,"$ END\n");

/* Close the file */

(void) fclose(fp);
}

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COLUMN FORMAT

5 COLUMN FORMAT

5.1 Overview
The COLUMN format specifies 2D curves in multiple columns. The format can be considered a superset of the
CURVE2D format; each column represents a single CURVE2D dataset, so multiple CURVE2D datasets can be
constructed from the COLUMN data.

Unfortunately, the COLUMN format is not as flexible as the CURVE2D format, in that the COLUMN format
does not allow modification of the line/marker properties for the different columns of data. If such is desired,
use the CURVE2D format instead.

5.2 Resources
The COLUMN format accepts the standard list of Plot Resources, which are listed in Appendix A. By default,
each curve in the dataset is plotted in a continuous solid line and individual points are not marked; use Curve
Resources for changing these and other curve properties. In addition, the COLUMN format accepts the
following resources:

COLUMN Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

xcolumn String NULL N/A x-coordinate column

xcolumn Specifies the column containing the x-coordinate data. If not specified, the x-column is
assumed to be the first column. See the Format Specification for more details.

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MTV Plot Data Format

5.3 ASCII Format Specification

The COLUMN format has the following form:
$ DATA=COLUMN

% [optional instructions]

% xcolumn = "column i"

"column 1" "column 2" ... "column i" ... "column m" # column labels

# 1st set of curves (ASCII)

% [optional instructions]
y1.1 y2.1 yi.1 yn.1
y1.2 y2.2 yi.2 yn.2
...
y1.n y2.n yi.n yn.n

# 2nd set of curves (ASCII)

% [optional instructions]
y1.1 y2.1 yi.1 yn.1
y1.2 y2.2 yi.2 yn.2
...
y1.n y2.n yi.n yn.n

# More curves (ASCII)

...

$ END

As shown, the column format consists of multiple columns of data. Each column is identified with a string
label. One of the columns is the x-ordinate; the other columns are the various y-ordinates. Each data-point in
all the columns is specified on the same line as follows (assuming the 1st column is the x-column):
x-coordinate y1-coordinate y2-coordinate ... yn-coordinate

Note in the above that the various fields are space or tab-separated. Each field is format-free, meaning that the
numbers may be specified using decimals, exponential or even integer formats.

Each column, when paired with the x-column, forms a set of curves which is stored in a CURVE2D dataset.
Thus, given N columns, N-1 CURVE2D datasets are generated. As in the CURVE2D format, the points on each
curve are specified on adjacent lines. Multiple curves are separated by one or more blank lines.

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COLUMN FORMAT

5.4 Example
The following shows an example file containing a COLUMN dataset. The dataset contains 3 columns, so 2
CURVE2D datasets are generated when the data is read in. The resultant plot, containing both datasets, is
shown on the opposite page.

#
# This column dataset contains 3 columns.
# Because xcolumn is not specified, the first column is taken to be the
# x-coordinate data.
#
$ DATA=COLUMN

% toplabel="Y1(X), Y2(X)"

X Y1 Y2
% markertype=3
0.0 0.0 0.0
1.0 1.0 1.0
2.0 2.0 4.0
3.0 3.0 9.0
4.0 4.0 16.0
5.0 5.0 25.0

$ END

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Tue Dec 7 16:33:45 1993

Y1(X), Y2(X)
25
Y1

Y2

20
Y−Axis

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
X−Axis

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COLUMN FORMAT

The next example shows a similar column dataset. In this case, the x-column is the third column, labeled
"DataC".

#
# This column dataset contains 3 columns.
# The xcolumn is specified to be that labeled "DataC"
#
$ DATA=COLUMN

% xcolumn = DataC
DataA DataB DataC
0.0 0.5 0.0
1.0 1.5 1.0
2.0 2.5 4.0
3.0 3.5 9.0
4.0 4.5 16.0
5.0 5.5 25.0

$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

Tue Dec 7 16:34:25 1993

DataA vs DataC
5.5
DataA

5 DataB

4
Y−Axis

0
0 10 20 25
X−Axis

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CONTCURVE FORMAT

6 CONTCURVE FORMAT

6.1 Overview
The CONTCURVE format specifies a 3-dimensional surface as a collection of 3D triangles. The format is
identical to that of the CURVE3D format; refer to the section on the CURVE3D format for full details on the
format specification.

Curves specified in the CONTCURVE format are converted into triangles which are then sliced to obtain
contours of the surface. Curves with 3 points become triangles, while curves with greater then 3 points are
triangulated.1

Once the data has been read in, the 3D mesh is sliced to obtain contours; each contour is a curve of iso-z-
values. By default, approximately 10 contour lines are plotted at constant z-intervals; the number of contours,
their intervals and plot style (i.e., lines, gradated colors, mesh) may be set using Dataset Properties (see
Appendix A).

6.2 Resources
The CONTCURVE format accepts the standard list of Plot Resources, as well as the following:

CONTCURVE Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

binary Boolean False True/False Machine-dependent binary
npts int - - Binary array size

binary Specifies whether the curve data is written in ASCII or machine-dependent binary format. If
True, the program tries to read 3 double-precision binary arrays of size npts containing the x,
y and z coordinates of the points in the curve. The arrays are assumed to be on the line following
the binary=True instruction. Default is False.
npts Specifies the number of points in a curve. Used only for reading data in binary format.

1. Note that the triangulation routine has not been perfected yet; the routine fails when passed 2 or more data-
points sharing the same x-y coordinates. Furthermore, the triangles generated are sometimes obtuse, resulting in
strange plots.

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MTV Plot Data Format

6.3 Format Specification

Each curve consists of a number of (x, y, z) points. The points on a curve may be specified either in ASCII or in
binary. The ASCII format requires the coordinates of the points in the curve to be listed one-per-line as
follows:
x-coordinate y-coordinate z-coordinate [point-ID] # point 0
x-coordinate y-coordinate z-coordinate [point-ID] # point 1
...
x-coordinate y-coordinate z-coordinate [point-ID] # point n

In contrast, the binary format has the following form:

% binary=True npts=<number-of-points>
[x-coordinate binary double-precision array]1
[y-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[z-coordinate binary double-precision array]

where the instruction line containing the binary flag is immediately followed by arrays containing x, y, and
z coordinate data.

Multiple curves are separated by one or more blank lines. The CONTCURVE format thus has the following
form:
$ DATA=CONTCURVE
# ASCII Curve
% [optional instructions]
x1 y1 z1 #[point 1, curve 1]
x2 y2 z2 #[point 2, curve 1]
...
xn yn zn #[point n, curve 1]

# Binary Curve
% [optional instructions]
% binary=True npts=<number-of-points>
[x-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[y-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[z-coordinate binary double-precision array]

# ASCII Curve
...

# Binary Curve
...
$ END

1. The square brackets denote an array; the brackets are not to be written out to the data-stream.

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CONTCURVE FORMAT

6.4 Example
The following shows an example file containing a CONTCURVE dataset. This dataset has five filled curves
which make up the surfaces of a pyramid. The curves are stored as 6 triangles, which are then sliced for
contours of equal-z values.

#
# Specify the 5 faces of a pyramid
# Paint each face with a different color
#
$ DATA=CONTCURVE Name=Pyramid

% meshplot=true # plot the underlying mesh too

% fillcolor=1 linelabel="South Face"

0.0 0.0 0.0 1
1.0 0.0 0.0 2
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=2 linelabel="East Face"

1.0 0.0 0.0 2
1.0 1.0 0.0 3
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=3 linelabel="North Face"

1.0 1.0 0.0 3
0.0 1.0 0.0 4
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=4 linelabel="West Face"

0.0 1.0 0.0 4
0.0 0.0 0.0 1
0.5 0.5 1.0 5

% fillcolor=5 linelabel="Bottom"
0.0 0.0 0.0 1
1.0 0.0 0.0 2
1.0 1.0 0.0 3
0.0 1.0 0.0 4

$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

Tue Dec 7 16:31:06 1993

PLOT
1

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8
Y−Axis

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 1
X−Axis

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CONTOUR FORMAT

7 CONTOUR FORMAT

7.1 Overview
The CONTOUR format specifies a 3-dimensional surface on a rectangular grid. The data consists of a grid-
specification, denoting the points on the x-y grid, followed by the main body, consisting of z-values at the
nodes of the x-y grid. The surface z-values are assumed to be single-valued functions of x and y. The x-y
rectangular grid may be a uniform or non-uniform grid, i.e., the spacing of the grid in x and y does not
necessarily have to be uniform. A single dataset may contain only one 3D mesh.

Once the data has been read in, the 3D mesh is sliced to obtain contours; each contour is a curve of iso-z-
values. By default, approximately 10 contour lines are plotted at constant z-intervals; the number of contours,
their intervals and plot style (i.e., lines, gradated colors, mesh) may be set using Dataset Properties (see
Appendix A).

7.2 Resources
The CONTOUR format accepts all of the Plot Resources listed in Appendix A, except for the Curve
Resources and the Global Curve Resources.1 In addition, the CONTOUR format accepts the following
resources (specified in instruction lines):

CONTOUR Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

nx int - - No. of grid points in x (required)
xmin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
xmax double nx - 1 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
ny int - - No. of grid points in y (required)
ymin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
ymax double ny - 1 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
binary Boolean False True/False Machine-dependent binary
joincurve integer 0 02 Join contours at boundary
0 = Don’t join
1 = Join with boundary at zmin
2 = Join with boundary at zmax

1. It is also possible to set curve properties (e.g., linetype, linewidth) of the contour curves derived from a CON-
TOUR dataset using the contours Dataset Resource, e.g., "% contours = (0.1 lw=2 lt=1)". See Ap-
pendix A for details.

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MTV Plot Data Format

nx Specifies the number of grid-points on the x-axis. Minimum value is 2. Required for both
uniform and non-uniform grid specification.
xmin
xmax Specifies the limits of the grid in x. For a uniform grid, the size of a grid-division is (xmax -
xmin)/(nx - 1). xmin defaults to 0, while xmax defaults to nx-1.
xgrid Specifies whether the grid is uniform or non-uniform on the x-axis. If True, the x-coordinates
of the grid must be specified following this instruction.
ny Specifies the number of grid-points on the y-axis. Minimum value is 2. Required for both
uniform and non-uniform grid specification.
ymin
ymax Specifies the limits of the grid in y. For a uniform grid, the size of a grid-division is (ymax -
ymin)/(ny - 1). ymin defaults to 0, while ymax defaults to ny-1.
ygrid Specifies whether the grid is uniform or non-uniform on the y-axis. If True, the y-coordinates
of the grid must be specified following this instruction.
binary Specifies whether the following data is written in ASCII or machine-dependent binary. Must be
specified individually for x-grid coordinates, y-grid coordinates and surface z-values. If True,
a double-precision binary array of appropriate size is expected to follow this instruction.
joincurve Causes contour curves to be joined at the data-boundaries. This is done by defining a boundary
layer around the rectangular border, and setting the z-value of that boundary layer at either the
maximum or minimum z-value. joincurve="HIGH" or joincurve=2 sets the border z-value to
its maximum value: this is useful for plots which have high average z-values.
joincurve="LOW" or joincurve=1 sets the border z-value to its minimum value: this is useful
for plots which have low average z-values. The default value is 0, in which case the contours
are not joined at the boundaries.

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CONTOUR FORMAT

7.3 Uniform Grid Format Specification

The uniform grid assumes that the x-y points are arranged on a regular rectangular grid bounded by xmin,
xmax, ymin and ymax. Within this grid, there are nx and ny grid points in x and y. The CONTOUR format
for specifying a uniform grid is as follows:
$ DATA=CONTOUR
% nx=<value> [xmin=<value> xmax=<value>]
% ny=<value> [ymin=<value> ymax=<value>]
% [binary=<T/F>]
z[0,0] z[1,0] z[2,0] ... z[i,0]
z[0,1] z[1,1] z[2,1] ... z[i,1]
...
z[0,j] z[1,j] z[2,j] ... z[i,j]
$ END

The boundary limits and number of grid-points are specified using instructions. Note that the boundary limits
are optional; if xmin, xmax, etc. are omitted, xmin=0 and xmax=nx-1 values are substituted. The uniform
grid boundary specification is followed by nx × ny z-values on the grid, arranged by column and row. In C
programming terms, this format corresponds to printing a 2D array in the following manner:
/* j is the outer-most loop */
for (j=0; j<ny; j++)
for (i=0; i<nx; i++)
(void) printf("%g\n", array[i][j]);

The z-values do not all have to be on the same line; they can be specified one value per line as in the above
example, or several values per line. Note however that the CONTOUR reader has is a 1000-character limit per
line - if too many z-values are printed on the same line, only the first 1000 characters (approximately 100
floating-point numbers) will be read.

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MTV Plot Data Format

7.4 Example
As an example, the dataset shown below defines a rectangular grid bounded by xmin=0.0, xmax=2.0,
ymin=0.0 and ymax=1.0. There are 5 grid-points in x (nx=5) and 3 in y (ny=3), corresponding to a
uniform square grid 0.5 units in width.

$ DATA=CONTOUR
% XMIN=0.0 XMAX=2.0 NX=5
% YMIN=0.0 YMAX=1.0 NY=3
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0
$ END

The dataset above produces the mapping shown below. The resultant contours are shown on the following
page.

z(x,y) x=0.0 x=0.5 x=1.0 x=1.5 x=2.0

y=0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

y=0.5 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0

y=1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0

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CONTOUR FORMAT

Tue Dec 7 16:31:10 1993

PLOT
1
8

0.
0.

8
1

1
2

0.
0.

0.
Y−Axis

2
4

0.
0.

0.

4
6

0.
0.

6
4

0.
0.

4
2

0.
0.

1
0.
8
0.
6

0
0 1 2
X−Axis

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MTV Plot Data Format

The z-values can also be specified in a machine-dependent binary format. The machine-dependent binary
format is defined by the presence of the "Binary=True" string in an instruction line. The binary data-
stream must begin on the line immediately following the above instruction line. The stream consists of a 1-
dimensional array of type double-precision. The array-size is nx × ny. The following code-fragment illustrates
writing out binary data in the CONTOUR format:

double xarr[20], yarr[20], zarr[400];

int nx=20, ny=20, i, j;

/* Fill x, y arrays */
for (i=0; i<nx; i++) xarr[i] = 0.1*i;
for (j=0; j<ny; j++) yarr[j] = 0.1*j;

/* Fill 1D z-array: note that z[i,j] = zarr[i+nx*j] */

for (i=0; i<nx; i++)
for (j=0; j<ny; j++)
zarr[i+nx*j] = sqrt(xarr[i]*xarr[i] + yarr[j]*yarr[j]);

/* Write out contour header */

(void) fprintf(fp,"$ DATA=CONTOUR\n");
(void) fprintf(fp,"%% xmin=0.0 xmax=2.0 ymin=0.0 ymax=2.0\n");
(void) fprintf(fp,"%% nx=%d ny=%d\n",nx,ny);

/* Write out contour data */

(void) fprintf(fp,"%% BINARY\n");
if (fwrite((char *)zarr,sizeof(double),nx*ny,fp) != nx*ny) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
return;
}
(void) fprintf(fp,"$ END\n");

This code fragment yields the following:

$ DATA=CONTOUR
% xmin=0.0 xmax=2.0 ymin=0.0 ymax=2.0
% nx=20 ny=20
% BINARY
[binary double-precision array]1
$ END

1. The square brackets denote an array; the brackets are not to be written out to the data-stream.

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CONTOUR FORMAT

7.5 Non-Uniform Grid Specification

The x-y grid may also be composed of non-uniform rectangles. Non-uniformity is specified using
"XGRID=True" and "YGRID=True", together with nx and ny for the number of grid-points. The data then
consists of nx points for the x-grid, ny points for the y-grid, followed by nx × ny points for the z-values on
the grid. The non-uniform CONTOUR format has the following form:
$ DATA=CONTOUR

% nx=<value> xgrid=True [binary=<T/F>]

x[0] x[1] ... x[i] ... x[nx-1]

% ny=<value> ygrid=True [binary=<T/F>]

y[0] y[1] ... y[j] ... y[ny-1]

% [binary=<T/F>]
z[0,0] z[1,0] z[2,0] ... z[i,0]
z[0,1] z[1,1] z[2,1] ... z[i,1]
...
z[0,j] z[1,j] z[2,j] ... z[i,j]

$ END

In the above, the x-grid values must be specified before the y-grid values which in turn must come before the
z-values. Furthermore, the x, y and z-grid arrays can be specified in binary, provided that a "BINARY=True"
instruction is included before each occurrence of a binary array.

The example below defines a non-uniform rectangular grid bounded by xmin=0.0, xmax=2.0, ymin=0.0
and ymax=1.0. There are 5 grid-points in x (nx=5) and 3 in y (ny=3).

$ DATA=CONTOUR

% NX=5 XGRID
0.0 0.2 1.0 1.7 2.0

% NY=3 YGRID
1.0 0.6 0.0

# The z-data
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0
$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

The dataset defined previously results in this mapping:

z(x,y) x=0.0 x=0.2 x=1.0 x=1.7 x=2.0

y=1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

y=0.6 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0

y=0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0

The non-uniform grid specification may also be mixed with the uniform format, that is, either of the x or y grid-
values can be non-uniform. The example below shows a grid non-uniform in x and uniform in y.

$ DATA=CONTOUR

% NX=5 XGRID
0.0 0.2 1.0 1.7 2.0

% NY=3 YMIN=0 YMAX=2

# The z-data
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0
$ END

As might be expected, the following mapping is obtained.

z(x,y) x=0.0 x=0.2 x=1.0 x=1.7 x=2.0

y=0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

y=1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0

y=2.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0

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4D GRID FORMAT

8 4D GRID FORMAT

8.1 Overview
The GRID4D format specifies 4-dimensional data as values on a rectangular volumetric x-y-z grid. The format
is an extension of the CONTOUR format from 3D to 4D. As with the CONTOUR format, the data consists of a
grid-specification, denoting the points on the x-y-z grid, followed by the main body of t-values at the nodes of
the x-y-z grid. The t(x,y,z) values are assumed to be single-valued functions of x, y and z. The rectangular
volumetric grid may be uniform or non-uniform. Furthermore, the grid-points as well as the t-values on the
grid may be specified in ASCII or machine-dependent binary formats.

Once the data has been read in, the 4D volume is sliced along each of its six orthogonal surfaces; contours of
the t-values are plotted on each surface. By default, the contours are plotted in gradated colors with
approximately 10 contour intervals between tmin and tmax. The number of contours and their intervals may be
set using Dataset Properties (see Appendix A).

8.2 Resources
The GRID4D format accepts all of the Plot Resources listed in Appendix A, except for the Curve Resources
and the Global Curve Resources.1 In addition, the GRID4D dataset accepts the following resources (specified
in instruction lines):

GRID4D Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

nx int - - No. of grid points in x (required)
xmin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
xmax double nx - 1 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
ny int - - No. of grid points in y (required)
ymin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
ymax double ny - 1 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
nz int - - No. of grid points in z (required)
zmin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
zmax double nz - 1 −∞  ∞ Uniform grid boundary
binary Boolean False True/False Machine-dependent binary

1. At present, it is not possible to manually set curve properties (e.g., linetype, linewidth) of the contour curves
derived from a GRID4D dataset.

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MTV Plot Data Format

nx Specifies the number of grid-points on the x-axis. Minimum value is 2. Required for both
uniform and non-uniform grid specification.
xmin
xmax Specifies the limits of the grid in x. For a uniform grid, the size of a grid-division is (xmax -
xmin)/(nx - 1). xmin defaults to 0, while xmax defaults to nx-1.
xgrid Specifies whether the grid is uniform or non-uniform on the x-axis. If True, the x-coordinates
of the grid must be specified following this instruction.
ny Specifies the number of grid-points on the y-axis. Minimum value is 2. Required for both
uniform and non-uniform grid specification.
ymin
ymax Specifies the limits of the grid in y. For a uniform grid, the size of a grid-division is (ymax -
ymin)/(ny - 1). ymin defaults to 0, while ymax defaults to ny-1.
ygrid Specifies whether the grid is uniform or non-uniform on the y-axis. If True, the y-coordinates
of the grid must be specified following this instruction.
nz Specifies the number of grid-points on the z-axis. Minimum value is 2. Required for both
uniform and non-uniform grid specification.
zmin
zmax Specifies the limits of the grid in z. For a uniform grid, the size of a grid-division is (zmax -
zmin)/(nz - 1). zmin defaults to 0, while zmax defaults to nz-1.
zgrid Specifies whether the grid is uniform or non-uniform on the z-axis. If True, the z-coordinates
of the grid must be specified following this instruction.
binary Specifies whether the following data is written in ASCII or machine-dependent binary. Must be
specified individually for x-grid coordinates, y-grid coordinates, z-grid coordinates and volume
t-values. If True, a double-precision binary array of appropriate size is expected to follow this
instruction.

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4D GRID FORMAT

8.3 Format Specification

The grid divisions in x, y, and z may be specified uniformly or non-uniformly. The following instruction line
is used to specify a uniform distribution in the x-axis.
% nx=<value> [xmin=<value> xmax=<value>]

To specify a non-uniform grid in x, specify "XGRID=True" in an instruction line, followed by the x-grid
values. The x-grid values can be specified in binary, provided a "BINARY=True" instruction is included
before the binary data-stream.
% nx=<value> xgrid=True [binary=<T/F>]
x[0] x[1] ... x[i] ... x[nx-1]

The y and z grid values are specified in a similar fashion.

The t-values on the volumetric grid are specified next, either in ASCII or in binary. The GRID4D format for a
uniform grid has the following form:
$ DATA=GRID4D
% nx=<value> [xmin=<value> xmax=<value>]
% ny=<value> [ymin=<value> ymax=<value>]
% nz=<value> [zmin=<value> zmax=<value>]

t[0,0,0] t[1,0,0] t[2,0,0] ... t[i,0,0]

t[0,1,0] t[1,1,0] t[2,1,0] ... t[i,1,0]
...
t[0,j,0] t[1,j,0] t[2,j,0] ... t[i,j,0]

t[0,0,1] t[1,0,1] t[2,0,1] ... t[i,0,1]

t[0,1,1] t[1,1,1] t[2,1,1] ... t[i,1,1]
...
t[0,j,1] t[1,j,1] t[2,j,1] ... t[i,j,1]

...
t[0,0,k] t[1,0,k] t[2,0,k] ... t[i,0,k]
t[0,1,k] t[1,1,k] t[2,1,k] ... t[i,1,k]
...
t[0,j,k] t[1,j,k] t[2,j,k] ... t[i,j,k]
$ END

In C programming terms, this format corresponds to printing a 3D array in the following manner:
/* k is the outer-most loop */
for (k=0; k<nz; k++)
for (j=0; j<ny; j++)
for (i=0; i<nx; i++)
(void) printf("%g\n", array[i][j][k]);

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MTV Plot Data Format

8.4 Example
The following example defines a GRID4D dataset bounded by xmin=0.0, xmax=2.0, ymin=0.0,
ymax=1.0, zmin=0.0 and zmax=0.5.

$ DATA = GRID4D

% axisscale=f
% meshplot

# Regular grid in x
% NX=5 XMIN=0.0 XMAX=2.0

# Irregular grid in y
% NY=3 YGRID=True
1.0 0.6 0.0

# Regular grid in z
% NZ=2 ZMIN=0.0 ZMAX=0.5

# The t-data for z=0.0

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

# The t-data for z=0.5

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
$ END

The above results in the following mappings:

t(x,y,z),z=0.0 x=0.0 x=0.5 x=1.0 x=1.5 x=2.0

y=1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

y=0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

y=0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0

t(x,y,z),z=0.5 x=0.0 x=0.5 x=1.0 x=1.5 x=2.0

y=1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

y=0.6 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

y=0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

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PLOT

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
Z−Axis

0.5
0.4
0.3 0.5
0.2
0.1 0
0 0.4
0
0.3
Y− 1
Ax xis
0.2
is 1 2 X − A 0.1
0
Z

X
Y

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MTV Plot Data Format

9 VECTOR FORMAT

9.1 Overview
The VECTOR format specifies a set of 3D vectors. Each vector is specified as a physical point, and a direction
vector attached to that point. Both the point and the direction vector are specified in 3D.

Once the vectors have been read in, a scale-factor is calculated based on the magnitude of the largest vector in
the vector dataset, and the boundary limits of the dataset; the vectors in the plot are drawn using this scale-
factor. By default all vectors of sufficient length (as determined by dimensions on the plot) are plotted with
arrow-heads. The vector scale-factor and the shape of the vector can be controlled using Dataset Properties
(see Appendix A).

9.2 Resources
The VECTOR format accepts all of the Plot Resources listed in Appendix A, except for the Global Curve
Resources. Use Curve Resources to set the line-type, color, and width of the vector arrows. In addition, the
VECTOR dataset accepts the following resources (specified in instruction lines):

VECTOR Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

binary Boolean False True/False Machine-dependent binary
npts int - - Binary array size

binary Specifies whether the curve data is written in ASCII or machine-dependent binary format. If
True, the program tries to read 6 double-precision binary arrays of size npts containing the x,
y and z coordinates and vx, vy and vz components of the vectors. The arrays are assumed to be
on the line following the binary=True instruction. Default is False.
npts Specifies the number of vectors to be read. Used only for reading data in binary format.

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9.3 Format Specification

Each vector consists of a physical point (x, y, z) and a direction vector (vx, vy, vz). The vectors can be specified
either in ASCII or in binary. The ASCII format requires the coordinates and direction-vector of each vector to
be specified one per line as follows:
x-coord y-coord z-coord vx-component vy-component vz-component # V 0
x-coord y-coord z-coord vx-component vy-component vz-component # V 1
...
x-coord y-coord z-coord vx-component vy-component vz-component # V n

In contrast, the binary format requires the coordinates and vector components of all the vectors to be written
out separately in 6 different arrays:
% binary=True npts=<number-of-vectors>
[x-coordinate binary double-precision array]1
[y-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[z-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[vx-component binary double-precision array]
[vy-component binary double-precision array]
[vz-component binary double-precision array]

The arrays must be preceded by an instruction line containing the binary flag and the number of vectors
contained in the arrays.

The VECTOR format thus has the following format:

$ DATA=VECTOR
# ASCII format
% [optional instructions]
x1 y1 z1 vx1 vy1 vz1 # vector 1
x2 y2 z1 vx2 vy2 vz2 # vector 2
...
xn yn zn vxn vyn vzn # vector n

# BINARY format
% [optional instructions]
% binary=True npts=<number-of-vectors>
[x-coordinate binary double-precision array]†
[y-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[z-coordinate binary double-precision array]
[vx-component binary double-precision array]
[vy-component binary double-precision array]
[vz-component binary double-precision array]
$ END

1. The square brackets denote an array; the brackets are not to be written out to the data-stream.

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MTV Plot Data Format

Note that it is possible to mix ASCII and binary formats; some vectors can be specified in ASCII while others
can be specified in binary.

9.4 Example
The following shows an example file containing a VECTOR dataset.

#
# Data file for vector
#
$ DATA=VECTOR

# Set the plot boundaries explicitly

% xmin = 0.1 xmax = 0.7
% ymin = -0.1 ymax = 0.7
% zmin = -0.5 zmax = 0.5

# Make the vectors a little longer

% vscale = 0.015

# Default vector color is 0

# Default vector width is 1

# 1st set of vectors at x=0.2

0.2 0.0 0.0 2.0 3.0 0.0
0.2 0.1 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0
0.2 0.2 0.0 2.0 1.0 0.0
0.2 0.3 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0
0.2 0.4 0.0 2.0 -1.0 0.0
0.2 0.5 0.0 2.0 -2.0 0.0
0.2 0.6 0.0 2.0 -3.0 0.0

# 2nd set of vectors at x=0.4 (parallel to x-axis)

0.4 0.15 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.20 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.25 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.30 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.35 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.40 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0
0.4 0.45 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0

# 3rd set of vectors at x=0.6

0.6 0.0 0.0 2.0 -3.0 0.0
0.6 0.1 0.0 2.0 -2.0 0.0
0.6 0.2 0.0 2.0 -1.0 0.0
0.6 0.3 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0
0.6 0.4 0.0 2.0 1.0 0.0
0.6 0.5 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0
0.6 0.6 0.0 2.0 3.0 0.0

$ END

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PLOT
0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4
Y−Axis

0.3

0.2

0.1

−0.1
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
X−Axis

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MTV Plot Data Format

9.5 Programming Example

The following short program illustrates writing binary data in the VECTOR format.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
main()
{
#define BINARYFILE "data.mtvdat"
FILE *fp;
double xarr[100], yarr[100], zarr[100];
double vxarr[100], vyarr[100], vzarr[100];
int i, npts=100;

/* Open up a file */
if ((fp=fopen(BINARYFILE,"w")) == NULL) {
(void) fprintf(stderr,"cat: Couldn’t open file %s\n",BINARYFILE);
exit(-1);
}

/* Fill arrays */
for (i=0; i<npts; i++) {
xarr[i] = 0.1*i; vxarr[i] = xarr[i];
yarr[i] = cos(xarr[i]); vyarr[i] = yarr[i];
zarr[i] = sin(xarr[i]); vzarr[i] = zarr[i];
}

/* Write out vector header */

(void) fprintf(fp,"$ DATA=VECTOR\n");

/* Write out binary data */

(void) fprintf(fp,"%% BINARY npts=%d\n",npts);
if (fwrite((char *)xarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1); }
if (fwrite((char *)yarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1); }
if (fwrite((char *)zarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1); }
if (fwrite((char *)vxarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1); }
if (fwrite((char *)vyarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1); }
if (fwrite((char *)vzarr,sizeof(double),npts,fp) != npts) {
(void) fprintf(stderr," ***Binary write error of data array!\n");
exit(-1); }
(void) fprintf(fp,"$ END\n");
(void) fclose(fp); /* Close the file */
}

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PROBABILITY PLOT FORMAT

10 PROBABILITY PLOT FORMAT

10.1 Overview
The PROBABILITY-PLOT format is used to specify a list of 2D points to be plotted on a probability plot.
Each point is specified as a value and an optional probability of occurrence; the x-axis of the resultant plot is on
an arithmetic scale, while the y-axis shows the distance between percentages obtained from a normal
distribution. A PROBABILITY-PLOT dataset contains only one curve.

10.2 Resources
The PROBABILITY-PLOT accepts all of the Plot Resources listed in Appendix A, except for the Global
Curve Resources. By default, the points in the dataset are plotted with square markers (markertype=4),
and the points are not joined by a line (linetype=0). Use Curve Resources for changing these default curve
properties. In addition, the PROBABILITY-PLOT format accepts the following resources:

PROBABILITY-PLOT Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

readprob Boolean False True/False Read probability of occurrence

readprob Probability data can be specified as a single list of unordered x-values, in which case the data
is sorted and a cumulative probability (y-value) is assigned to each data-point. This corresponds
to readprob=False. Alternately, the data may be specified as a list of (x, y) pairs, where x is
the data value, and y is the user-specified cumulative probability. In this last scheme,
readprob=True, and 2 columns of data must be specified.

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MTV Plot Data Format

10.3 Format Specification

PROBABILITY_PLOT data may be specified in either a single column or double column format.

10.3.1 Single Column Format: Compute Probabilities

In the single column format, which corresponds to readprob=False, the data consists of a single column of x-
values. These x-values are read in, then sorted by magnitude. The cumulative probability of occurrence of
these data-points is then calculated and assigned as the y-value of each data-point, using the simple function
y(i)=(2i - 1)/(2n), where i is the rank order of the data-point, and n is the total number of points.

The single-column format has the following form:

$ DATA=PROBABILITY

% [optional instructions]

% readprob=False
x1 #[point 1]
x2 #[point 2]
...
xn #[point n]

$ END

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PROBABILITY PLOT FORMAT

An example data-file in the single-column format is shown below. The resultant MTV plot is shown on the
following page.

$ DATA=PROBABILITY

#
# This format provides a sequence of numbers, from which an ordered list
# and the corresponding probabilities are calculated by the program
#
% readprob = False
2954.63e-2
2980.58e-2
3053.02e-2
3009.29e-2
3116.46e-2

3025.33e-2
2861.48e-2
2979.04e-2
3109.85e-2
3045.65e-2

2984.65e-2
2892.86e-2
3051.01e-2
3006.77e-2
2925.79e-2

3034.51e-2
3020.70e-2
2948.42e-2
2998.25e-2
3035.31e-2

2780.27e-2
2914.04e-2
2924.46e-2
3087.05e-2
2982.11e-2

# Draw a straight line through the data

@line x1=27.8 y1=0.02 x2=31.16 y2=0.98

$ END

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Tue Dec 7 16:32:43 1993

PLOT
99.99

99.9

99

90

80
70
Y−Axis

60
50
40
30
20

10

0.1

0.01
28 29 30 31
X−Axis

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PROBABILITY PLOT FORMAT

10.3.2 Double Column Format: Read Probabilities

In the double column format, which corresponds to readprob=True, the data consists of 2 columns of (x, y)
pairs. The x-value corresponds to the data-value, while the y-value is the cumulative probability corresponding
to the data-value. The probability is specified in a range of 0.0 - 1.0. The data is read in and stored in order of
occurrence; unlike the single-column format described earlier, in the double column format, the data is not
sorted in x.

The double-column format has the following form:

$ DATA=PROBABILITY

% [optional instructions]

% readprob=True
x1 y1 #[point 1]
x2 y2 #[point 2]
...
xn yn #[point n]

$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

An example data-file in the double-column format is shown below. The resultant MTV plot is shown on the
following page.

$ DATA=PROBABILITY

#
# This format provides a sequence of numbers, with values and cumulative
# probabilities
#

% grid=True # Draw the grid too

% readprob=True
% linetype=1 # Draw a line through the data-points
2780.3e-2 0.02
2861.5e-2 0.06
2892.9e-2 0.1
2914e-2 0.14
2924.5e-2 0.18
2925.8e-2 0.22
2948.4e-2 0.26
2954.6e-2 0.3
2979e-2 0.34
2980.6e-2 0.38
2982.1e-2 0.42
2984.7e-2 0.46
2998.2e-2 0.5
3006.8e-2 0.54
3009.3e-2 0.58
3020.7e-2 0.62
3025.3e-2 0.66
3034.5e-2 0.7
3035.3e-2 0.74
3045.7e-2 0.78
3051e-2 0.82
3053e-2 0.86
3087.1e-2 0.9
3109.8e-2 0.94
3116.5e-2 0.98

$ END

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PLOT
99.99

99.9

99

90

80
70
Y−Axis

60
50
40
30
20

10

0.1

0.01
28 29 30 31
X−Axis

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MTV Plot Data Format

11 HISTOGRAM FORMAT

11.1 Overview
The HISTOGRAM format is used to create a histogram plot where the frequency of occurrence of data in
specified ranges is plotted as 2D bars. The horizontal axis of the plot represents ranges of data-point values
(e.g., 0-1, 1-2, 2-3) while the vertical axis is scaled according to the number of data-points falling into each
data-range or bin (e.g., 5 points in [0,1] range). Histogram data is specified as a single column of data-values.

11.2 Resources
The HISTOGRAM format accepts all of the Plot Resources listed in Appendix A, except for the Global
Curve Resources. Each histogram bar is plotted as a solid rectangle with a default fillcolor (fillcolor=5).
The linetype, line thickness and other such curve properties of the bars can be changed using Curve
Resources. The HISTOGRAM format also accepts the following Dataset Resources:

HISTOGRAM Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

binstart double xmin −∞  ∞ Histogram starting point
binwidth double 0.1(xmax-xmin) −∞  ∞ Histogram bin size

binstart Specifies the beginning point from which the data-values will be collected into bars. The data
is collected in ranges of size binwidth beginning from x=binstart. Thus the histogram bars are
constructed over the ranges [binstart, binstart + binwidth], [binstart + binwidth, binstart +
2×binwidth] and so on. binstart defaults to xmin, the minimum data value.
binwidth Specifies the collection range or bin size for the histogram. The data is collected in ranges of
size binwidth beginning from x=binstart. Thus the histogram bars are constructed over the
ranges [binstart, binstart + binwidth], [binstart + binwidth, binstart + 2×binwidth] and so
on. binwidth defaults to 0.1×(xmax-xmin), such that 10 histogram bars are plotted.

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HISTOGRAM FORMAT

11.3 ASCII Format Specification

HISTOGRAM data consists of a single column of x-values. These x-values are read in and sorted into bins,
i.e., the number of data-points falling into the various data-ranges are counted. Bars are constructed with
heights proportional to the data count, and widths proportional to the data range.

The HISTOGRAM format has the following form:

$ DATA=HISTOGRAM

% [optional instructions]

x1 #[point 1]
x2 #[point 2]
x3 #[point 3]
...
xn #[point n]

$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

11.4 Example
An example of a HISTOGRAM dataset is shown below.

$ DATA=HISTOGRAM

#
# This format provides a sequence of numbers to be plotted as a histogram
#

#% binwidth=1.0
#% binstart=28.00

2954.63e-2
2980.58e-2
3053.02e-2
3009.29e-2
3116.46e-2

3025.33e-2
2861.48e-2
2979.04e-2
3109.85e-2
3045.65e-2

2984.65e-2
2892.86e-2
3051.01e-2
3006.77e-2
2925.79e-2

3034.51e-2
3020.70e-2
2948.42e-2
2998.25e-2
3035.31e-2

2780.27e-2
2914.04e-2
2924.46e-2
3087.05e-2
2982.11e-2

$ END

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PLOT
7

4
Y−Axis

0
28 29 30 31
X−Axis

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12 BARCHART FORMAT

12.1 Overview
The BARCHART format specifies multiple sets of data points on a bar graph. Each data point is represented by
a two-dimensional bar. The bottom horizontal axis represents dataset values (e.g., months). The bars are plotted
against the vertical axis, which is scaled according to the range of data-point values (e.g., sales by month).
More than one set of bars or data-point values may be specified and plotted side-by-side (e.g., sales by month,
gross profits by month).

12.2 Resources
The BARCHART format accepts all of the Plot Resources listed in Appendix A, except for the Global Curve
Resources. Each bar is plotted as a solid rectangle with a fillcolor dependent on the order of bar sets. The
linetype, line thickness and other such curve properties of the bars can be changed using Curve Resources. In
addition, the fillcolor and filltype of different bar sets may be specified using instruction lines followed by a
list of values corresponding to each bar (see examples on the following pages). The BARCHART format also
accepts the following Dataset Resources:

BARCHART Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

barmin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Minimum bar extent

barmin Specifies the minimum y-extent of each bar in the bar-chart. The 2D bar is drawn from
y=barmin to y=yval, where yval is the data-point value of the bar. By default, barmin=0.0.

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12.3 ASCII Format Specification

The BARCHART format has the following form:
$ DATA=BARCHART

% [optional instructions]

"Bar-Set-1" "Bar-Set-2" "Bar-Set-3" ... "Bar-Set-m"

"value-1" xa1 xb1 xc1 xm1
"value-2" xa2 xb2 xc2 xm2
...
"value-n" xan xbn xcn xmn
% fillcolor color-1 color-2 color-3 color-m # optional
% filltype type-1 type-2 type-3 type-m # optional

$ END

As shown above, BARCHART data is specified as multiple columns of data. The first line in the dataset is used
to determine the number of sets of bars as well as the names of each set (e.g., "Sales", "Profit"). Each
subsequent line consists of the name of the data-value (e.g., "Month"), and the value for each set of data. The
filltype and fillcolor for each set of data may also be specified in columnar form as shown.

12.4 Example
An example of a BARCHART dataset containing 3 sets of bars is shown below.

$ DATA=BARCHART

# This format is used for the bar-chart

#

#% barmin = -100 # Could use this to set the bar minimum value
% xlabel = "Year"
% ylabel = "$"

"Income" "Expenses" "Savings"

1982 100 200 -100
1983 120 200 -80
1984 140 200 -60
1985 160 220 -60
1986 200 230 -30
1987 400 240 160
% fillcolor 5 4 3

$ END

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PLOT
425
400 Income

Expenses

Savings

300

200
$

100

−100
−125
1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
Year

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BARCHART FORMAT

The example below demonstrates the use of a BARCHART dataset with only one set of bars.

$ DATA=BARCHART

# A single set of bars

% xlabel = "Workstation Model"

% ylabel = "Speed in SPECfp92"
% toplabel = "Comparison of Workstation Speed"
% subtitle = "Compiled from SunWorld"
% sidelabel = false # Don’t plot the side labels

"Speed"
"SS2" 19.0
"SS10/30" 41.1
"SS10/41" 63.4
"RS6K 350" 65.4
"RS6K 370" 121.0
"DEC AXP 400" 111.0
"HP 735" 150.6
$ END

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MTV Plot Data Format

Tue Dec 7 16:30:35 1993

Comparison of Workstation Speed

Compiled from SunWorld
157.2
Speed in SPECfp92

100

0
SS2 SS10/30 SS10/41 RS6K 35 RS6K 37 DEC AXP HP 735
Workstation Model

1-64 MTV PLOT DATA FORMAT Version 1.4 Rev. 0 7/94

APPENDIX A MTV Plot Resources

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MTV Plot Resources

1 PLOT RESOURCES

MTV Plot Resources are <argument>=<value> strings used to set properties of a plot. The Plot Resources
modify the properties of the dataset and of any plots containing the dataset. The various types of Plot
Resources are:
• Plotset Resources
• 3D View Resources
• Dataset Resources
• Curve Resources
• Global Curve Resources

Plot Resources are included as instruction lines in the data-stream along with the actual plot data in the
MTVDAT data format. Each instruction line begins with a percent "%" character and contains one or more
argument-value pairs, separated by spaces or tabs. In general, the argument of the <argument>=<value>
pair is case-insensitive, while the value string is case-sensitive. The example below defines a CURVE2D
dataset with properties set using instruction lines.
$ DATA=CURVE2D NAME="Curve A"

# Plotset Resources
% toplabel = "Hello World"
% grid = True

# Dataset Resources
% splinetype=3 # Curves connected with Quadratic B-splines

# Curve 1 Resources
% linetype=1 linewidth=2 linelabel="Cv 1"
% markertype=3 # Draw the markers too
0 0
1 1
2 2

# Curve 2 Resources
% linetype=2 linewidth=1 linelabel="Cv 2"
% markertype=4 # Draw the markers too
2 0
1 1
0 2
$ END

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PLOTSET RESOURCES

2 PLOTSET RESOURCES

2.1 Overview
Plotset Resources are used to control the shape, size and appearance of a plot.

Plotset Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Plot Titles
xlabel string "X-Axis" N/A X-Axis Label
ylabel string "Y-Axis" N/A Y-Axis Label
zlabel string "Z-Axis" N/A Z-Axis Label
toplabel string "PLOT" N/A Plot Title
subtitle string NULL N/A Plot Sub-Title
comment string NULL N/A User-defined Comment
sidelabel Boolean True True/False Plot side-labels
sidelabellength integer 0 -100  300 Increase/decrease area for side-
labeloffset labels
Plot Aspect-ratio/Appearance
grid Boolean False True/False Plot grid
equalscale Boolean False True/False Equal scaling in X and Y
fitpage Boolean True True/False Scale plot to fit page
xyratio double 0.75 0.01  4 Plot size ratio (Y/X)
Axis-Scales
xautorange Boolean True True/False Automatic tick scaling in X
xticks integer 4 1  50 Number of tickmarks in X
yautorange Boolean True True/False Automatic tick scaling in Y
yticks integer 4 1  50 Number of tickmarks in Y
zautorange Boolean True True/False Automatic tick scaling in Z
zticks integer 4 1  50 Number of tickmarks in Z

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MTV Plot Resources

Plotset Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Axis-Scales (continued)
autorange Boolean True True/False Automatic tick scaling in X,Y,Z
xlog Boolean False True/False Logarithmic Scale in X
ylog Boolean False True/False Logarithmic Scale in Y
zlog Boolean False True/False Logarithmic Scale in Z
xscale double 1.0 1e-99  ∞ Scale factor for X-Axis Label
yscale double 1.0 1e-99  ∞ Scale factor for Y-Axis Label
zscale double 1.0 1e-99  ∞ Scale factor for Z-Axis Label
xticklabel string NULL N/A User-specified ticklabels, speci-
fied as:
xticklabel=(x-coordinate, label)
yticklabel string NULL N/A User-specified ticklabels, speci-
fied as:
yticklabel=(y-coordinate, label)
zticklabel string NULL N/A User-specified ticklabels, speci-
fied as:
zticklabel=(z-coordinate, label)
innerticks Boolean False True/False Draw ticks inside plot area
Plot Boundaries
xmin double Dataset xmin -∞  ∞ X-Axis plot boundary
vxmin
xmax double Dataset xmax -∞  ∞ X-Axis plot boundary
vxmax
ymin double Dataset ymin -∞  ∞ Y-Axis plot boundary
vymin
ymax double Dataset ymax -∞  ∞ Y-Axis plot boundary
vymax
zmin double Dataset zmin -∞  ∞ Z-Axis plot boundary
vzmin

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PLOTSET RESOURCES

Plotset Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Plot Boundaries (continued)
zmax double Dataset zmax -∞  ∞ Z-Axis plot boundary
vzmax
Miscellaneous Options
xflip Boolean False True/False Flip X-Scale
yflip Boolean False True/False Flip Y-Scale
xabs Boolean False True/False Plot against abs(x)
yabs Boolean False True/False Plot against abs(y)
zabs Boolean False True/False Plot against abs(z)
overlay Boolean True True/False Modify overlaid datasets

2.2 Resource Specification

Plot Titles
xlabel Specifies the x-axis label. Defaults to "X-Axis".
ylabel Specifies the y-axis label. Defaults to "Y-Axis".
zlabel Specifies the z-axis label. Used only in 3D plots. Defaults to "Z-Axis".
toplabel Specifies the plot title, which appears above the plot itself. Defaults to "PLOT".
subtitle Specifies an additional title, which appears in a smaller font below the plot title. By default
this title is left blank.
comment Specifies an additional title. This title appears in the upper-right corner of the plot. By default
this title is left blank.
sidelabel Specifies whether the curve labels and contour color labels are to be plotted on the side of the
plot. Defaults to True.
sidelabelength
labeloffset Specifies the additional size in pixels that the area for the side-labels is to be increased or
decreased. Negative values decrease the size of the side-label area. Defaults to 0.

Plot Aspect-ratio/Appearance
grid Specifies whether a dotted grid is drawn within the 2D plot. Grid intervals depends on the
axis-scale values. Defaults to False.

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MTV Plot Resources

equalscale Specifies whether the 2D plot is drawn with equally-scaled x and y axes. If True, the plot-
distance per unit in x and y are set equal; thus if the x-limits are equal to the y-limits the plot
will be square-shaped. Note that if x and y differ significantly in magnitude, setting
equalscale=True will result in a long narrow rectangular plot. If equalscale=False, and
fitpage=True, the x and y scale factors will be chosen such that the plot fills the page. If
equalscale=False, and fitpage=False, the plot is drawn with aspect ratio xyratio. Default
equalscale value is True.
Note: Use the View Resource axisscale to control the aspect ratio of a 3D plot.
fitpage Used with equalscale to set the 2D plot aspect ratio. Defaults to True.
xyratio Specifies the 2D plot y:x aspect ratio, i.e., the ratio of the plot-height (y) to the plot-width (x).
Used only if both equalscale=False and fitpage=False. Default value is 0.75.

Axis-Scales
xautorange Specifies whether automatic ranging is used to plot axis-scales on the x-axis. Automatic
ranging causes the program to select the best axis-scales possible for the x-axis. Both major
and minor ticks are drawn; tick intervals depend on the range of axis-values. When False, the
axis is drawn with xticks equally-spaced major tickmarks. Defaults to True.
xticks Sets the number of major ticks on the x-axis. Specifying this option also turns off automatic
ranging of the x-axis. Minor ticks are not drawn. Default value is 4.
yautorange Specifies whether automatic ranging is used to plot axis-scales on the y-axis. See the
description of xautorange. Defaults to True.
yticks Sets the number of major ticks on the y-axis. See the description of xticks. Default value is 4.
zautorange Specifies whether automatic ranging is used to plot axis-scales on the z-axis. See the
description of xautorange. Defaults to True.
zticks Sets the number of major ticks on the z-axis. See the description of xticks. Default value is 4.
autorange Equivalent to setting xautorange, yautorange, and zautorange simultaneously.
xlog Specifies if the x-axis is to be drawn on a logarithmic or linear scale. When True, major tick
marks are drawn at every logarithmic decade (multiple of 10.0), while minor tickmarks are
drawn at every integer value within the decade. Defaults to False.
ylog Specifies if the y-axis is to be drawn on a logarithmic or linear scale. Defaults to False.
zlog Specifies if the z-axis is to be drawn on a logarithmic or linear scale. Defaults to False.
xscale Specifies the scale factor for the x-axis scale labels. This is useful when the x-ordinate values
are very large or very small; the scale values are then divided by xscale before being placed on
the plot. For example, if the plot has major ticks at 1.2e10 and 1.3e10, and xscale=1e10, then
the tick labels will show "1.2" and "1.3", and a "(× 1e10)" label will be appended to the x-axis
label. Defaults to 1.0.
yscale Specifies the scale factor for the y-axis scale labels. See the description of xscale. Defaults to
1.0.
zscale Specifies the scale factor for the z-axis scale labels. See the description of xscale. Defaults to
1.0.

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PLOTSET RESOURCES

xticklabel
yticklabel
zticklabel Specifies the label to be used for a given coordinate on the plot boundary. Ticklabels are
psecied as a coordinate-label pair enclosed in brackets:
xticklabel = ( x-coordinate, label )
yticklabel = ( y-coordinate, label )
zticklabel = ( z-coordinate, label )

The following example illustrates the use of successive ticklabel statements to specify labels
on the plot boundaries.

$ DATA=CURVE2D

# Xticklabel specification
% xticklabel = (0.1 "Tick1")
% xticklabel = (0.2 "Tick2")
% xticklabel = (0.3 "Tick 3")

# Now define curve datapoints

0 0
1 1
2 2

$ END

innerticks Forces tickmarks to be drawn only on the inside of the plot. Defaults to False, in which case
tickmarks on the upper x-axis and on the right y-axis are drawn inside the plot, while the
tickmarks on the lower x-axis and on the left y-axis are drawn outside the plot.

Plot Boundaries
xmin
vxmin Sets the minimum x-axis value of the plot boundary.
xmax
vxmin Sets the maximum x-axis value of the plot boundary.
ymin
vymin Sets the minimum y-axis value of the plot boundary.
ymax
vymin Sets the maximum y-axis value of the plot boundary.
zmin
vzmin Sets the minimum z-axis value of the plot boundary.
zmax
vzmax Sets the maximum z-axis value of the plot boundary.

Miscellaneous Options

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MTV Plot Resources

xflip Specifies whether the direction of increasing x is to be reversed. If False, the minimum x-
value is placed to the left of the maximum x-value on the plot; x increases from left to right. If
True, the minimum x-value is placed to the right of the maximum x, and x increases from
right to left. This gives the appearance of flipping the plot about the x-axis. Defaults to False.
yflip Specifies whether the direction of increasing y is to be reversed. If False, the minimum y-
value is placed underneath the maximum y-value on the plot; y increases from bottom to top.
If True, the minimum y-value is placed above the maximum y, and y increases from top to
bottom. This gives the appearance of flipping the plot about the y-axis. Defaults to False.
xabs Specifies if the data is to be plotted against the absolute value of the x-ordinate. Defaults to
False.
yabs Specifies if the data is to be plotted against the absolute value of the y-ordinate. Defaults to
False.
zabs Specifies if the data is to be plotted against the absolute value of the z-ordinate. Defaults to
False.
overlay Specifies if datasets overlaid in the same plot are to be modified. If True, the line-types and
line-colors of contours and curves are jogged so as to provide contrast between the different
datasets. Defaults to True.

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3D VIEW RESOURCES

3 3D VIEW RESOURCES

3.1 Overview
View Resources affect the shape and viewing angle of the 3D plot. These resources are used to select the
appropriate view of the 3D plot.

3D View Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

View Point
eyepos.x double 1.0 -∞  ∞ Eye-position relative to view cen-
ter
eyepos.y double 1.5 -∞  ∞ Eye-position relative to view cen-
ter
eyepos.z double 0.5 -∞  ∞ Eye-position relative to view cen-
ter
viewcenter.x double 0.5(xmin+xmax) -∞  ∞ View center
viewcenter.y double 0.5(ymin+ymax) -∞  ∞ View center
viewcenter.z double 0.5(zmin+zmax) -∞  ∞ View center
Axis Options
window.xmin double -0.7 -∞  ∞ Window boundary
window.xmax double 0.7 -∞  ∞ Window boundary
window.ymin double -0.7 -∞  ∞ Window boundary
window.ymax double 0.7 -∞  ∞ Window boundary
axislabel Boolean True True/False Draw axis labels
axismove Boolean False True/False Rotate axis with view
axisscale Boolean True True/False Apply unequal scaling (plot as
cube)
Miscellaneous Options
leftworld Boolean False True/False Left-handed coordinate system
hiddenline Boolean False True/False Apply hidden-surfaces
paintcube Boolean False True/False Paint plot surfaces

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MTV Plot Resources

3D View Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Miscellaneous Options (continued)
axisguides Boolean True True/False Show miniature axis guide

3.2 Resource Specification

View Point
eyepos.x
eyepos.y
eyepos.z Specify the eye-position relative to the view center. The 3D eye-position (or viewing vector)
defaults to (1.0, 1.5, 0.5).
viewcenter.x
viewcenter.y
viewcenter.z Specify the view-center about which the 3D data is to be viewed. By default, the view-center
is placed at the center of the plot-boundaries, e.g., viewcenter.x = 0.5(xmin+xmax), where
xmin and xmax are the boundaries of the plot in x (specified in Plotset Resources).
window.xmin
window.xmax
window.ymin
window.ymax Specify the relative size of the 2D window in the 3D plot. The 2D window dimensions are
used to zoom or pan on selected areas of the 3D plot. By default, window.xmin=-0.7,
window.xmax=0.7, window.ymin=-0.7 and window.ymax=0.7.

Axis Options
axislabel Specifies whether to plot the axis labels in the 3D plot. Default value is True.
axismove Specifies whether the plot axis labels and tickmarks rotate as the view is rotated. In a 3D plot,
only 1 of 4 possible axes in x, y, or z has labels and tickmarks attached to it. If axismove is
False, the axes are plotted such that the labeled z-axis is always on the left-most side of the
plot, while the x and y labeled axes are always on the bottom sides of the view cube closest to
the eye. If True, the labeled plot axes are fixed to specific coordinates and rotate as the view
rotates. The default is False.
axisscale Specifies whether the axes are scaled unequally. If True, the unequal scaling results in a cube-
like plot, where the x, y and z axes have the same length regardless of the actual boundary
range. If False, the axes are scaled proportionally to the actual boundary range. The default is
True.

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3D VIEW RESOURCES

Miscellaneous Options
leftworld Specifies whether to use a left-handed coordinate system or a right-handed coordinate system.
If True, a left-handed coordinate system is used. The default is False, and the 3D plot is
displayed using a right-handed coordinate system.
hiddenline Specifies whether polygons are drawn with hidden lines/surfaces. The hiddenline routine uses
a simple painter’s algorithm; polygons further from the eye are drawn first and obscured or
painted over by polygons closer to the eye. Default is False.
paintcube Specifies whether the inner surfaces making up the view cube are painted. Default is False.
axisguides Specifies whether the miniature axis guides are drawn on the lower left corner of the plot.
Defaults to True.

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MTV Plot Resources

4 DATASET RESOURCES

4.1 Overview
Dataset Resources are used to modify the properties of datasets. In general, dataset resources affect the way the
data is manipulated and displayed in the plot, e.g., the number of contour slices in a contour plot.

Dataset Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Contour Options
contstyle integer 1 13 Contour style
1=Contour Lines
2=Gradated Colored Contours
3=Mesh
contfill Boolean False True/False Colored contours (contstyle=2)
cstep double 0.1(cmax-cmin) 0.0  ∞ Contour step size (linear)
nsteps integer 10 0  50 Number of contour steps (linear)
logsteps integer 1 1  10 Steps per logarithmic decade
contours string NULL N/A Individual contour specification
cmax double Data maximum -∞  ∞ Maximum contour level
cmin double Data minimum -∞  ∞ Minimum contour level
linetypes integer 2 13 No of contour linetypes
contlabel Boolean True True/False Plot contour labels
contclip Boolean False True/False Clip filled contours
interpolate integer 0 03 Contour interpolation style
(only for rectangular grids)
0=Rectangle → Rectangle
1=Rectangle → Triangles
2=Rectangle → 4 Triangles
3=Rectangle → Flat Rectangle
bitmap Boolean False True/False Used with interpolate=3 to draw
contours as bitmaps.
logx Boolean False True/False Contour log-interpolation in x
logy Boolean False True/False Contour log-interpolation in y

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DATASET RESOURCES

Dataset Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

logz Boolean False True/False Contour log-interpolation in z

Mesh Options
meshplot Boolean False True/False Plot mesh
boundary Boolean True True/False Plot boundary
regbound Boolean False True/False Fill region boundary
fillbound Boolean False True/False Fill material boundary
Vector Options
vlog Boolean False True/False Plot vectors in log-scale
vlogscale double - 0∞ Vector scale-factor (log)
vscale double - 0∞ Vector scale-factor (linear)
vhead Boolean True True/False Draw vector arrow-head
vtail Boolean False True/False Draw vector arrow-tail
Barchart Options
barmin double 0.0 −∞  ∞ Minimum bar extent
Histogram Options
binwidth double 0.1(xmax-xmin) −∞  ∞ Histogram bin size
binstart double xmin −∞  ∞ Histogram starting point
Debug Options
printid Boolean False True/False Print all element IDs
pointid Boolean False True/False Print point IDs
nodeid Boolean False True/False Print node IDs
triaid Boolean False True/False Print triangle IDs
rectid Boolean False True/False Print rectangle IDs

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MTV Plot Resources

Dataset Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

regionid Boolean False True/False Print region IDs

Curve Options
splinetype integer 0 06 Spline Type
0=None (Linear)
1=Cubic B-Spline
2=Doubled Cubic B-Spline
3=Quadratic B-Spline
4=Catmull-Rom Spline
5=Cubic Bezier Spline
6=Quadratic Bezier Spline
applyfill Boolean True True/False Fill curves as requested
Miscellaneous Options
annotate Boolean True True/False Plot annotations

4.2 Resource Specification

Contour Options
contstyle Specifies the contour plot style. contstyle=1 results in contour lines, contstyle=2 causes the
regions between adjacent contours to be filled with gradated colors, while contstyle=3 causes
the 3D surface mesh to be drawn in place of contours. contstyle=1 and contstyle=2, when
used in combination with meshplot=True causes contours and the underlying mesh to be
drawn simultaneously. By default, contstyle=1.
contfill Specifies whether to draw contours in gradated colors. contfill=True is equivalent to setting
contstyle=2, while contfill=False corresponds to contstyle=1.
cstep Causes contours to be selected with a constant step-size of cstep. This results in equally-
spaced contour increments inside the given [cmin, cmax] limits. However, the minimum and
maximum contour values do NOT necessarily correspond to the minimum and maximum
limits of the quantity; the values of the contours are rounded so as to obtain numerically-
pleasing values. For example, with cmin=0.36 and cmax=1.03, contour values of z=0.4, 0.5,...
1.0 are obtained. By default, contours are plotted using a cstep value corresponding to roughly
10 equally spaced contours.

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DATASET RESOURCES

nsteps Causes contours to be selected with a constant step-size of (cmax-cmin)/nsteps. The contours
are selected inclusive of cmin and cmax, resulting in levels at z=cmin, z=cmin+i(cmax-
cmin)/nsteps, ... z=cmax. For example, with cmin=0.36, cmax=1.03 and nsteps=5, contour
values of z=0.36, 0.494, 0.628, 0.762, 0.896, and 1.03 are obtained. If nsteps=0, a single
contour is drawn at 0.5(cmin+cmax). The default value is 10.
Note: If nsteps is NOT explicitly specified, the contours are calculated using the cstep option,
where cstep = rounded_value_of((cmax-cmin)/10).
logsteps Specifies the number of contours to be plotted in a logarithmic decade. Setting logsteps causes
contours to be selected with logarithmic spacing, which is preferred for plotting data which
ranges widely in magnitude. If logsteps=1, the ratio between adjacent contours is 10.0 and
contours are rounded to the nearest power of 10. For example, if the quantity ranges in z-value
from 0.5e10 to 3.2e15, contours will be plotted at 1e10, 1e11, 1e12, 1e13, 1e14 and 1e15.
logsteps values greater than 1 cause more than one contour to be plotted per decade, e.g.,
logsteps=2 plots contours at 1e10, 5e10, 1e11, etc. The default logsteps value is 1.
contours Specifies a string of contour values. This option is used to manually set the number and type of
contours in the contour plot. The contours string has the syntax:
contours=([new] value1 value2 ... [linewidth=<>] ...)
where value1 etc., are user-defined contour levels; the optional "new" character string
causes all previously specified contour values to be over-written. Curve properties such as
linewidth, linetype, and marker-types for the contours may also be defined in the same line,
using curve keywords such as "linewidth" and "linetype"; see Curve Properties for the
detailed specification. Multiple contours statements can be used together, provided that each
statement is on a separate line; contours statements following the first contours statement
append their contour values to the current list. By default, contours is a blank string, and the
contour levels are selected automatically using any of cstep, nsteps, and logsteps.

The following example illustrates the use of successive contours statements to set contour
levels and the curve properties of the contours.

$ DATA=CONTOUR

# Contour step specification

% contours = (0.1 0.2 0.3 lw=2 lt=1 lc=2 mt=2)
% contours = (0.5 0.6 0.7 lw=1 lt=2 lc=3)

# Now define the contour grid

% xmin=0 xmax=2 nx=5
% ymin=0 ymax=1 ny=3
0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 0

$ END

cmin

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MTV Plot Resources

cmax Specify the range in which contours are to be plotted. These default respectively to the
minimum and maximum z-values of the data in the selected dataset.
linetypes Specifies the number of line-types for the contour plot. Valid values range from 1 to 3. The
default is to use 2 line-types, in which case major contours are drawn in solid lines while
minor contours are drawn dashed.
contlabel Specifies whether contour labels are to be placed on contour lines. contlabel is ignored when
drawing colored contours (contstyle=2).
contclip Specifies if the filled contours are to be plotted for values greater than cmin and cmax.
contclip defaults to False; if contstyle=2, then the contours are filled above and below the
specified color ranges. For example, if contours are specified at values of 0.1, 0,2 and 0.3,
data-ranges less than 0.1 and greater than 0.3 will be filled as well. But if contclip=True, then
only the contours between 0.1 and 0.3 will be filled with colors.
interpolate Specifies the contour interpolation style for rectangular-grid-based data. By default,
interpolate=0, and each rectangle in the grid is plotted as is. If interpolate=1 or
interpolate=2, each rectangle is split up into 2 or 4 triangles respectively. The distinction
between rectangles and triangles is made because the 4 points of a single rectangle in 3D space
are often not coplanar. Finally, interpolate=3 is a special scheme where the data is broken up
into planar rectangles with constant z-values; each rectangle is centered about the data-points
on the original rectangular grid.
logx
logy
logz Specifies whether contours are to be calculated using logarithmic or linear interpolation.
Typically, contour data with a wide range of values is plotted using logarithmically varying
steps and logarithmic interpolation in z (logz=True). By default, logx=False, logy=False and
logz=False.

Mesh Options
meshplot Specifies whether the underlying mesh is to be plotted. Particularly useful for contour plots
and mesh-based datasets. Default is False.
boundary Specifies whether the outlines of the device materials are to be plotted. Useful only for mesh-
based datasets. Default is True.
regbound Specifies whether the boundaries of the various device regions are to be drawn. Regions with
identical materials are plotted in identical colors. Useful only for mesh-based datasets. Default
is False.
fillbound Specifies whether the various device regions are to be filled with colors corresponding to
different materials. Regions with identical materials are plotted in identical colors. Useful only
for mesh-based datasets. Default is False.

Vector Options
vlog Specifies whether vectors are to be plotted on a logarithmic or linear scale. If True, the length
of the vectors is proportional to the logarithm of the vector magnitude. Default is False.

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vlogscale Specifies the scale factor for vectors plotted on a logarithmic scale. The default scaling is
based on the boundary limits of the data and the logarithm of the maximum magnitude of the
vectors.
vscale Specifies the scale factor for vectors plotted on a linear scale. The default scaling is based on
the boundary limits of the data and the maximum magnitude of the vectors.
vhead Specifies whether the vectors are to be plotted with arrow-heads. Only vectors of sufficient
length (as determined by dimensions on the plot) are plotted with arrow-heads. Default is
True.
vtail Specifies whether the vectors are to be plotted with cross-tails. Default is False.

Barchart Options
barmin Specifies the minimum y-extent of each bar in the bar-chart. The 2D bar is drawn from
y=barmin to y=yval, where yval is the data-point value of the bar. By default,
barmin=0.0.

Histogram Options
binstart Specifies the beginning point from which the data-values will be collected into bars. The data
is collected in ranges of size binwidth beginning from x=binstart. Thus the histogram bars
are constructed over the ranges [binstart, binstart + binwidth], [binstart + binwidth,
binstart + 2×binwidth] and so on. binstart defaults to xmin, the minimum data value.
binwidth Specifies the collection range or bin size for the histogram. The data is collected in ranges of
size binwidth beginning from x=binstart. Thus the histogram bars are constructed over the
ranges [binstart, binstart + binwidth], [binstart + binwidth, binstart + 2×binwidth] and so
on. binwidth defaults to 0.1×(xmax-xmin), such that 10 histogram bars are plotted.

Debugging Options
printID Specifies whether the various element integer identifiers are to be printed on the plot.
Equivalent to setting pointID, nodeID etc individually.
pointID Specifies whether point integer identifiers are to be printed on the plot. Points are contained in
CURVE2D, CURVE3D, CONTCURVE, CONTOUR, GRID4D, PROBABILITY-PLOT and
MESH-based datasets. Default is False.
nodeID Specifies whether node integer identifiers are to be printed on the plot. Nodes are connected to
points, and contained in CONTOUR, GRID4D and MESH-based datasets. Default is False.
triaID Specifies whether triangle integer identifiers are to be printed on the plot. Triangles are
connected to nodes which in turn are connected to points; triangles are contained in
CONTOUR, GRID4D and MESH-based datasets. Default is False.
rectID Specifies whether rectangle integer identifiers are to be printed on the plot. Rectangles are
connected to nodes which in turn are connected to points; rectangles are contained in
CONTOUR and GRID4D datasets. Default is False.
regionID Specifies whether region integer identifiers are to be printed on the plot. Regions are
connected to nodes which in turn are connected to points; regions are contained only in
MESH-based datasets. Default is False.

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MTV Plot Resources

Curve Options
splinetype Specifies if spline interpolation is to be used to connect the points on a curve. Applies to
CONTOUR and CURVE datasets only. 6 splinetypes are provided. The Cubic B-Spline
(splinetype=1), Doubled Cubic B-Spline (splinetype=2), Quadratic B-Spline (splinetype=3)
produce curves that approximate the control points; the curves pass close to but do not go
through the actual data points. Catmull-Rom Splines (splinetype=4) pass through the control
points but can produce wild variations in between points. Quadratic Bezier Spline
(splinetype=5) and Cubic Bezier Spline (splinetype=6) curves hit the midpoints of the control
points. The default, splinetype=0 is to connect the data-points using straight lines.
applyfill Specifies whether curves with specified fills are actually filled. If False, only the curve
outlines are plotted. Actually a useful debugging aid for inspecting overlapping curves.
Applies only to CURVE datasets. Default is True.

Miscellaneous Options
annotate Specifies whether annotations attached to the specified dataset are to be plotted. If False, the
annotations are not plotted. Allows multiple datasets to be overlaid without too much
confusion due to overlapping annotations. Default is True.

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CURVE RESOURCES

5 CURVE RESOURCES

5.1 Overview
Curve Resources are used to modify the properties of curves in contour and curve datasets. Note that curve
resources may be specified using abbreviated keywords, i.e., "lw=5" is identical to "linewidth=5".

Curve Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Line Options
linelabel string NULL N/A Curve label
linewidth integer 1 0  32 Curve width
lw
linetype integer 1 0  10 Curve type
lt 0=None
1=Solid
2=Dashed
3=Dotted
4=Dot-Dash
5=Long-Dots
6=Double-Dot
7=Long-Dash
8=Sparse Dot-Dash
9=Triple-Dot
10=Dot-Dot-Dash
linecolor integer 1 -1  10 Line color
lc -1=Background colora
0=Foreground colorb
1=Yellow
2=Blue
3=Green
4=Red
5=Dark Blue
6=Orange
7=Pink
8=Light Pink
9=Cyan
10=Brown

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MTV Plot Resources

Curve Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Marker Options
markertype integer 0 0  13 Marker type
mt 0=None
1=Dot
2=Cross
3=X
4=White Square
5=Black Square
6=White Diamond
7=Black Diamond
8=White Triangle
9=Black Triangle
10=White Inverted Triangle
11=Black Inverted Triangle
12=White Circle
13=Black Circle
markercolor integer 1 -1  10 Marker color
mc Refer to linecolors
markersize integer 1 1  10 Marker size
ms
Fill Options
filltype integer 0 08 Fill type
0=None
1=Solid
2=Square Crosshatch
3=Left-to-right Diagonal
4=Right-to-left Diagonal
5=Crossed Diagonals
6=Vertical Lines
7=Horizontal Lines
8=Dotted Horizontal Lines
fillcolor integer 1 -1  10 Fill color
Refer to linecolors
a. The background color is typically blue on an X11 plot. On a Postscript plot, the background color is always
white.

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CURVE RESOURCES

b. The foreground color is typically white on an X11 plot. On a Postscript plot, the foreground color is always
black.

5.2 Resource Specification

Lines
linelabel Specifies a label (legend) to be placed to the left of the plot. For contour-curves, the label is
placed at various locations on the curve itself. Default is a blank string.
linewidth
lw Specifies the width of the line to be used in drawing the curve. Default is 1.
linetype
lt Specifies the type of line-pattern to be used in drawing the curve. Line-patterns include solid
lines, dashed lines and dotted lines. Default is 1 (solid line).
linecolor
lc Specifies the color to be used in drawing the curve. Colors are approximated by gray-scales for
black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).

Markers
markertype
mt Specifies the markertype to be used in drawing the points on the curve. The default value is 0,
in which case markers are not plotted.
markercolor
mc Specifies the color to be used in drawing the markers. Colors are approximated by gray-scales
for black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).
markersize
ms Specifies the size of markers on the curve. The default value is 1, which is the smallest size.

Fills
filltype Specifies the filltype to be used in drawing the curve. The default is 0, in which case only the
outline of the curve is drawn.
Note: The filltype is ignored if the Dataset Resource applyfill is False.
fillcolor Specifies the color to be used in the fill-pattern. Colors are approximated by gray-scales for
black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).

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MTV Plot Resources

6 GLOBAL CURVE RESOURCES

6.1 Overview
Global Curve Resources are used to modify the properties of all the curves in contour and curve datasets.
These resources are used primarily to set the default properties for curves; Curve Resources are then used to set
properties of individual curves. Note that the argument names of Global Curve Resources differ from Curve
Resource names only by a "d" in at the beginning of the name.

Global Curve Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Line Options
dlinewidth integer 1 0  32 Curve width
dlinetype integer 1 0  10 Curve type
0=None
1=Solid
2=Dashed
3=Dotted
4=Dot-Dash
5=Long-Dots
6=Double-Dot
7=Long-Dash
8=Sparse Dot-Dash
9=Triple-Dot
10=Dot-Dot-Dash
dlinecolor integer 1 -1  10 Line color
-1=Background colora
0=Foreground colorb
1=Yellow
2=Blue
3=Green
4=Red
5=Dark Blue
6=Orange
7=Pink
8=Light Pink
9=Cyan
10=Brown

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GLOBAL CURVE RESOURCES

Global Curve Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Marker Options
dmarkertype integer 0 0  13 Marker type
0=None
1=Dot
2=Cross
3=X
4=White Square
5=Black Square
6=White Diamond
7=Black Diamond
8=White Triangle
9=Black Triangle
10=White Inverted Triangle
11=Black Inverted Triangle
12=White Circle
13=Black Circle
dmarkercolor integer 1 -1  10 Marker color
Refer to linecolors
dmarkersize integer 1 1  10 Marker size
Fill Options
dfilltype integer 0 08 Fill type
0=None
1=Solid
2=Square Crosshatch
3=Left-to-right Diagonal
4=Right-to-left Diagonal
5=Crossed Diagonals
6=Vertical Lines
7=Horizontal Lines
8=Dotted Horizontal Lines
dfillcolor integer 1 -1  10 Fill color
Refer to linecolors
a. The background color is typically blue on an X11 plot. On a Postscript plot, the background color is always
white.
b. The foreground color is typically white on an X11 plot. On a Postscript plot, the foreground color is always
black.

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MTV Plot Resources

6.2 Resource Specification

Lines
dlinewidth Specifies the width of the line to be used in drawing the curve. Default is 1.
dlinetype Specifies the type of line-pattern to be used in drawing the curve. Line-patterns include solid
lines, dashed lines and dotted lines. Default is 1 (solid line).
dlinecolor Specifies the color to be used in drawing the curve. Colors are approximated by gray-scales for
black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).

Markers
dmarkertype Specifies the markertype to be used in drawing the points on the curve. The default value is 0,
in which case markers are not plotted.
dmarkercolor Specifies the color to be used in drawing the markers. Colors are approximated by gray-scales
for black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).
dmarkersize Specifies the size of markers on the curve. The default value is 1, which is the smallest size.

Fills
dfilltype Specifies the filltype to be used in drawing the curve. The default is 0, in which case only the
outline of the curve is drawn.
Note: The dfilltype is ignored if the Dataset Resource applyfill is False.
dfillcolor Specifies the color to be used in the fill-pattern. Colors are approximated by gray-scales for
black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).

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CURVE RESOURCE EXAMPLES

7 CURVE RESOURCE EXAMPLES

The example plots shown on the following pages illustrate the many different line, marker and fill types
available as Curve Resources.

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MTV Plot Resources

Fri Dec 10 17:29:08 1993 MTV provides 10 different line−types

Line Types
Markertype=4 Linecolor=1
−0.25
Line 0
0 0
Line 1
1
Line 2
2
Line 3
3

1 Line 4
4

5 Line 5

6 Line 6

Line 7
Y−Axis

2 8 Line 8

9 Line 9

10 Line 10

11 Line 11

3 12 Line 12

13 Line 13

14 Line 14

15 Line 15

4 16 Line 16

4.25
0 1
X−Axis

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CURVE RESOURCE EXAMPLES

Fri Dec 10 17:28:59 1993 MTV provides 10 different line−colors

Line Colors
Markertype=3 Linetype=1 Linewidth=2
−0.5
Color −1
−1

0 0 Color 0

1 Color 1

2 Color 2

3 Color 3
1 4 Color 4
5 Color 5
6
Color 6
Y−Axis

7
Color 7
2 8
Color 8
9
Color 9
10
Color 10
11

3 Color 11
12
Color 12
13

14 Color 13

15 Color 14

4 16 Color 15

4.25 Color 16
0 1
X−Axis

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MTV Plot Resources

Fri Dec 10 17:29:16 1993 MTV provides 13 different marker−types

Marker Types
Linetype=0
−0.25
Marker 0
0 0
Marker 1
1
Marker 2
2
Marker 3
3

1 Marker 4
4

5 Marker 5

6 Marker 6

Marker 7
Y−Axis

2 8 Marker 8

9 Marker 9

10 Marker 10

11 Marker 11

3 12 Marker 12

13 Marker 13

14 Marker 14

15 Marker 15

4 16 Marker 16

4.25
0 1
X−Axis

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CURVE RESOURCE EXAMPLES

Fri Dec 10 17:28:51 1993 MTV provides 8 different fill−types

Fill Types
Markertype=4 Linetype=1 Fillcolor=1
−0.25
Filltype 0
0 0
Filltype 1
1
Filltype 2
2
Filltype 3
3

1 Filltype 4
4

5 Filltype 5

6 Filltype 6

Filltype 7
Y−Axis

2 8 Filltype 8

9 Filltype 9

10 Filltype 10

11 Filltype 11

3 12 Filltype 12

13 Filltype 13

14 Filltype 14

15 Filltype 15

4 16 Filltype 16

4.25
0 1
X−Axis

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MTV Plot Resources

Fri Dec 10 17:28:39 1993 MTV provides 8 fill−types and 10 fill−colors

Fill Types/Colors
Markertype=4 Linetype=1
0
C−1 C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 Filltype 0
F0
Filltype 1
F1
Filltype 2
F2
Filltype 3
1 F3
Filltype 4
F4
Filltype 5
F5
Filltype 6
F6
Filltype 7
Y−Axis

2 F7
Filltype 8
F8
Filltype 9
F9
Filltype 10
F10
Filltype 11
3 F11
Filltype 12
F12
Filltype 13
F13
Filltype 14
F14
Filltype 15
4 F15

4.3
0 1 2 3 3.55
X−Axis

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APPENDIX B MTV Annotations

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MTV Annotations

1 ANNOTATIONS

1.1 Overview
The MTV data format allows plot annotations to be attached to sets of data. Annotations are specified in the
data-file or data-stream as strings beginning with the "@" character. Multiple annotations can be attached in
each dataset. Furthermore, each annotation can be specified in data (world) coordinates or in plot coordinates.

The format for annotations is as follows:

MTV Annotation Types

First Keyword Arguments
Character
@ rectangle x1=<> y1=<> [z1=<>] x2=<> y2=<> [z2=<>] <annotation-properties>
@ line x1=<> y1=<> [z1=<>] x2=<> y2=<> [z2=<>] <annotation-properties>
@ arrow x1=<> y1=<> [z1=<>] x2=<> y2=<> [z2=<>] <annotation-properties>
@ point x1=<> y1=<> [z1=<>] <annotation-properties>
@ text x1=<> y1=<> [z1=<>] label=<> <annotation-properties>

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ANNOTATIONS

Annotation Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Line Options
linelabel string NULL N/A Curve label
label
ll
linewidth integer 1 0  32 Curve width
lw
linetype integer 1 0  10 Curve type
lt 0=None
1=Solid
2=Dashed
3=Dotted
4=Dot-Dash
5=Long-Dots
6=Double-Dot
7=Long-Dash
8=Sparse Dot-Dash
9=Triple-Dot
10=Dot-Dot-Dash

linecolor integer 1 -1  10 Line color

lc -1=Background colora
0=Foreground colorb
1=Yellow
2=Blue
3=Green
4=Red
5=Dark Blue
6=Orange
7=Pink
8=Light Pink
9=Cyan
10=Brown

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MTV Annotations

Annotation Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Marker Options
markertype integer 0 0  13 Marker type
mt 0=None
1=Dot
2=Cross
3=X
4=White Square
5=Black Square
6=White Diamond
7=Black Diamond
8=White Triangle
9=Black Triangle
10=White Inverted Triangle
11=Black Inverted Triangle
12=White Circle
13=Black Circle
markercolor integer 1 -1  10 Marker color
mt Refer to linecolors
markersize integer 1 1  10 Marker size
ms
Fill Options
filltype integer 0 08 Fill type
ft 0=None
1=Solid
2=Square Crosshatch
3=Left-to-right Diagonal
4=Right-to-left Diagonal
5=Crossed Diagonals
6=Vertical Lines
7=Horizontal Lines
8=Dotted Horizontal Lines
fillcolor integer 1 -1  10 Fill color
fc Refer to linecolors
Miscellaneous Options
absolute Boolean False T/F Plot in world/plot coordinates

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ANNOTATIONS

Annotation Property Argument List

Name Type Default Range Description

Miscellaneous Options (continued)
clip Boolean True T/F Clip against plot boundary
a. The background color is typically blue on an X11 plot. On a Postscript plot, the background color is always
white.
b. The foreground color is typically white on an X11 plot. On a Postscript plot, the foreground color is always
black.

1.2 Resource Specification

Lines
linelabel
label
ll Specifies a label (legend) to be placed to the left of the plot. For contour-curves, the label is
placed at various locations on the curve itself. Default is a blank string.
linewidth
lw Specifies the width of the line to be used in drawing the curve. Default is 1.
linetype
lt Specifies the type of line-pattern to be used in drawing the curve. Line-patterns include solid
lines, dashed lines and dotted lines. Default is 1 (solid line).
linecolor
lc Specifies the color to be used in drawing the curve. Colors are approximated by gray-scales for
black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).

Markers
markertype
mt Specifies the markertype to be used in drawing the points on the curve. The default value is 0,
in which case markers are not plotted.
markercolor
mc Specifies the color to be used in drawing the markers. Colors are approximated by gray-scales
for black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).
markersize
ms Specifies the size of markers on the curve. The default value is 1, which is the smallest size.

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MTV Annotations

Fills
filltype
ft Specifies the filltype to be used in drawing the curve. The default is 0, in which case only the
outline of the curve is drawn.
Note: The filltype is ignored if the Dataset Resource applyfill is False.
fillcolor
fc Specifies the color to be used in the fill-pattern. Colors are approximated by gray-scales for
black-and-white Postscript plots. Default is 1 (yellow).

Miscellaneous
absolute Specifies if the position of the annotation is specified in world coordinates or in plot
coordinates. Defaults to False, in which case world coordinates are assumed. If
absolute=True, then the annotations are specified by their position on a page - the coordinates
must be given such that 0<x<1 and 0<y<1; the actual position of the annotation is obtained
from x × width, y × height, where width and height are the dimensions of the page/
plot. This latter scheme however has the disadvantage that the position of an annotation in an
X11 plot is slightly different from that on a Postscript plot.
clip Specifies if the annotation is to be clipped against the plot boundaries. Defaults to True, in
which case, the annotation is not drawn if the point(s) to which it is attached fall outside the
plot boundaries.

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ANNOTATIONS

1.3 Example
The following shows an example file containing a CURVE2D dataset containing one curve and several
annotations. The resultant plot is shown on the following page,.

$ DATA=CURVE2D

# This data-file illustrates the use of annotations

% vymax=1.2

# Define fake data

% linetype=0 filltype=4
0.0 0.0
1.2 0.0
1.2 0.7
0.0 0.7
0.0 0.0

# define annotations
#
# By default, annotations are defined in data coordinates
#
# Annotations can also be specified by their position on a page (plot)
# in which case the coordinates are given such that 0<x<1 and 0<y<1;
# the actual position of the annotation is obtained from x*width,y*height
# This scheme however has the disadvantage that the position of an
# annotation in an X plot is slightly different from that on a Postscript
# plot.
#

#
# Rectangle annotations
#
# syntax:
# @ rectangle P1 P2 [properties]
#
# P1=lower left corner
# P2=upper right corner
# The linelabel is placed at the center of the rectangle
#

# rectangle with background color (white in Postscript) and solid fill

@ rectangle x1=0.1 y1=0.2 z1=0.0 x2=0.3 y2=0.6 z2=0.0 \
fillcolor=-1 filltype=1 linelabel="Solid Rect"

# rectangle with no fill (outline) - this is the default

@ rectangle x1=0.4 y1=0.2 z1=0.0 x2=0.6 y2=0.6 z2=0.0 \
fillcolor=0 filltype=0 linelabel="Rect Outline"

# rectangle with foreground color (black in Postscript) and solid fill

@ rectangle x1=0.7 y1=0.2 z1=0.0 x2=0.9 y2=0.6 z2=0.0 \
fillcolor=0 filltype=1 linelabel="Solid Rect"

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MTV Annotations

# rectangle with striped fill, extends outside data-boundaries (default clip)

@ rectangle x1=1.0 y1=0.2 z1=0.0 x2=1.5 y2=0.35 z2=0.0 \
filltype=2 linelabel="Clipped Rect"

# rectangle with striped fill, extends outside data-boundaries (no clip)

@ rectangle x1=1.0 y1=0.45 z1=0.0 x2=1.5 y2=0.6 z2=0.0 \
fillcolor=2 filltype=2 linelabel="UnClipped Rect" doclip=false

# Plot this rectangle in absolute coordinates (x=0..1, y=0..1)

@ rectangle x1=0.05 y1=0.05 x2=0.50 y2=0.1 linetype=2 absolute=true \
linelabel="This rectangle doesn’t scale with the plot"

#
# Line annotations
#
# syntax:
# @ line P1 P2 [properties]
#
# P1----------------P2
# label
#
# P1=starting point
# P2=ending point
# The linelabel is placed at the starting-point (P1)
# and left-justified if P1.x > P2.x, and right-justified if P1.x < P2.x,
# and center-justified if P1.x = P2.x
#

# default line
@ line x1=0.90 y1=0.75 z1=0.0 x2=0.62 y2=0.89 z2=0.0 \
linelabel="Right Label"

# Label centered at P2
@ line x1=0.60 y1=0.75 z1=0.0 x2=0.60 y2=0.88 z2=0.0 \
linelabel="Centered Label (1)"

# Label centered at P2
@ line x1=0.60 y1=1.10 z1=0.0 x2=0.60 y2=0.92 z2=0.0 \
linelabel="Centered Label (2)"

# Label to the left of the line

@ line x1=0.30 y1=0.75 z1=0.0 x2=0.58 y2=0.89 z2=0.0 \
linelabel="Left Label"

# Labels at right corner of plot

@ line x2=0.90 y2=0.60 x1=0.94 y1=0.60 \
linetype=1 absolute=True linelabel="Ln 1"
@ line x2=0.90 y2=0.57 x1=0.94 y1=0.57 \
linetype=2 absolute=True linelabel="Ln 2"

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ANNOTATIONS

#
# Arrow annotations
#
# syntax:
# @ arrow P1 P2 [properties]
#
# P1--------------->P2
# label
#
# P1=starting point
# P2=ending point
# The linelabel is placed at the starting-point (P1)
# and left-justified if P1.x > P2.x, and right-justified if P1.x < P2.x,
# and center-justified if P1.x = P2.x
#

# default line
@ arrow x1=0.90 y1=1.10 z1=0.0 x2=0.62 y2=0.91 z2=0.0 \
linelabel="Right Arrow"

# Label to the left of the line

@ arrow x1=0.30 y1=1.10 z1=0.0 x2=0.58 y2=0.91 z2=0.0 \
linelabel="Left Arrow"

# Labels at right corner of plot

@ arrow x2=0.90 y2=0.75 x1=0.94 y1=0.75 \
linetype=1 linecolor=1 absolute=True linelabel="Ar 1"
@ arrow x2=0.90 y2=0.72 x1=0.94 y1=0.72 \
linetype=1 linecolor=2 absolute=True linelabel="Ar 2"

#
# Marker(point) annotations
#
# syntax:
# @ point P1 [properties]
#
# P1=coordinates
# The linelabel is left-justified and on the right of P1
#

# single point
@ point x1=0.1 y1=1.00 z1=0.0 linelabel="Default Point"

# another point
@ point x1=0.1 y1=0.95 z1=0.0 markertype=5 markersize=3 linelabel="Square
Point"

# another point
@ point x1=0.1 y1=0.90 z1=0.0 markertype=7 markersize=3 linelabel="Dia-
monds are forever"

# Set of points at the left side of the plot

@ point x1=0.90 y1=0.90 markertype=1 absolute=True
@ point x1=0.94 y1=0.90 markertype=1 absolute=True linelabel="Mk 1"
@ point x1=0.90 y1=0.87 markertype=2 absolute=True
@ point x1=0.94 y1=0.87 markertype=2 absolute=True linelabel="Mk 2"

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MTV Annotations

#
# Text (label) annotations
#
# syntax:
# @ text P1 [properties]
#
# P1=coordinates of center of label
# The linelabel is centered around P1
#

# label
@ text x1=0.1 y1=0.85 z1=0.0 linelabel="Hello, World"

# label in absolute coordinates

@ text x1=0.5 y1=0.9 z1=0.0 linelabel="Centered Label" absolute=True

$END

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