Re: Layout of plot with PyNGL

From: David Brown <dbrown_at_nyahnyahspammersnyahnyah>
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 14:44:48 -0600

Hi Daran,

The calculations I am suggesting *will* maximize the entire contents
of the viewport on the page.
You are correct that you cannot do it using the maximize_plot
function or the nglMaximize resource.
That is why I tried to explain a manual method.
If you like you could send your script along with some data and I
will take a look.
  -dave

On Apr 1, 2009, at 2:34 PM, Daran Rife wrote:

> Hi Dave,
>
> This is very helpful. I was definitely thinking from the perspective
> of a page layout, not the NDC viewport space using in PyNGL. I've
> modified my script and now the entire plot fits within the viewport.
> For fun, I've attached the plot.
>
> For my specific case, is there an easy way to maximize the entire
> contents of the viewport, eliminating most of the white space. The
> data are a bit hard to see. I am familiar with the Ngl.maximiz_plot
> function, and the nglMaximize resource, but don't think they can be
> used for my case.
>
> Thanks again for your help. I do appreciate it.
>
>
> Daran
>
> --<som_node_0.pdf>
>
> --
> On Apr 1, 2009, at 2:15 PM, David Brown wrote:
>
>> Hi Daran,
>> Yes it sure would be easier if it were possible to use the
>> panelling code with wmbarbmap, but since it is not, let me try to
>> suggest an approach that will manually approximate what the
>> panelling and plot-maximizing code does.
>>
>> First, it's important to realize that the viewspace for all PyNGL
>> graphics is a unit square that goes from 0 - 1 along both axes. So
>> I would suggest first drawing to the X11workstation, which only
>> shows the unit square, and adjusting your plots until all the
>> graphics are visible in the X window. Then determine the NDC
>> coordinates of
>> the min and max X and Y extents of the graphics. In the case of a
>> group of plots such as the sample you have attached, you might
>> have values such as:
>> left x: 0.3 right x: 0.7 bottom y: 0.05 top y: 0.95
>>
>> In the X workstation this means a lot of white space on the left
>> and right and not much on the bottom and top. Now imagine taking
>> this unit square and adjusting the size and position such that the
>> graphics fill as much of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper as possible.
>> This implies that the left and right edges of the square will be
>> off the sheet of paper, while the top and bottom are at the edges
>> of the printable extent of the paper (this is assumed to be 0.5
>> inches inside the paper edges -- a good approximation for typical
>> printers). This can be achieved by modifying the values of the PDF
>> workstation resources wkDevice[Upper | Lower][X | Y].
>>
>> These resources have units of 1/72 of an inch. Since your plot
>> will have a portrait orientation, the origin of the page and of
>> the PyNGL viewspace are both in the lower left corner. This makes
>> the calculation a bit simpler. The default values of these
>> resources are designed to center the complete unit square on the
>> plot. But in your case you want to make the Y axis as big as
>> possible without losing anything along the X axis. Basically you
>> need to compare the aspect ratio of your plot to the aspect ratio
>> of the drawing surface. This will determine which axis limits the
>> ultimate size of the plot. Using the example numbers, the plot has
>> a ratio of (Y/X) 0.9 / 0.4 or 2.25 while the paper ratio
>> (subtracting the margin) is 10 / 7.5 or 1.333. This make the Y
>> axis the limiting factor, so it should be made as big as possible.
>>
>> So you would set wkDeviceLowerY to 36 and wkDeviceUpperY to 756
>> (792 - 36 ). That means the Y axis extent is 720 or 10 inches. Now
>> since the PyNGL viewspace is always square and your graphics are
>> centered along the X axis, you simply need to subtract and add
>> half this amount from the center of the drawing space X axis:
>> (8.5 * 72) / 2 = 306 ; 5 * 72 = 360 ; so you would set
>> wkDeviceLowerX to -54 (306 - 360) and wkDeviceUpperX to 666 (306 +
>> 360).
>>
>> If you are plotting in landscape mode, the calculations are bit
>> more complicated because the origin of the PyNGL viewspace is
>> placed such that the PyNGL viewspace origin is at the upper left
>> of the PDF coordinate system and the PyNGL X Axis increases in the
>> negative direction of the PDF Y axis. But the principles are the
>> same.
>>
>> I hope this is not too confusing an explanation.
>> -dave
>>
>>
>>
>> On Apr 1, 2009, at 9:01 AM, Daran L. Rife wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I'm creating a multi-panel plot with PyNGL, and
>>> having a Dickens of a time getting all the panel
>>> to fit within the viewport, while simultaneously
>>> using the maximum amount of real estate on a PDF
>>> workstation. The end result is heaps of "white
>>> space" surrounding my panels, and the bottom two
>>> panels partially lying outside the viewport. I
>>> have attached the resulting plot.
>>>
>>> For this particular plot, I am unable to use the
>>> Ngl.panel function, which automatically lays out
>>> the panels, fitting them within the viewport while
>>> simultaneously using as much of the real estate
>>> on the PDF page as possible. The reason I cannot
>>> use Ngl.panel is that I am using the Ngl.wmbarbmap
>>> to draw my station data. Ngl.wmbarbmap cannot be
>>> used in conjunction with Ngl.panel.
>>>
>>> I have done extensive searching of the excellent
>>> online documentation and user forums, and have
>>> experimented with various PyNGL resource settings,
>>> all to no avail.
>>>
>>> I would be grateful if one of the PyNGL gurus could
>>> help me sort out the proper PyNGL calls needed to
>>> achieve my desired plot.
>>>
>>> I have placed the script and data on my FTP site:
>>>
>>> ftp://ftp.rap.ucar.edu/incoming/irap/drife/
>>>
>>> The main script is plot_soms_panel.py, and is called with the
>>> following arguments:
>>>
>>>> ./plot_soms_panel.py orig_som.cod TERRAIN_DOMAIN3.WSMR.nc
>>>> stns_for_gmt
>>>
>>> I'm running this from an OS X (Intel) Leopard box, using NumPy
>>> 1.2.1, and PyNGL version 1.3.0b1, and Python 2.5.0.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>>
>>>
>>> Daran
>>>
>>>
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Received on Wed Apr 01 2009 - 14:44:48 MDT

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