(maxima.info)Plotting Formats

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12.2 Plotting Formats
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Maxima can use either Gnuplot, Xmaxima or Geomview as graphics program.
Gnuplot and Geomview are external programs which must be installed
separately, while Xmaxima is distributed with Maxima.  There are various
different formats for those programs, which can be selected with the
option 'plot_format' (see also the 'Plotting Options' section).

   The plotting formats are the following:

   * *gnuplot* (default on Windows)

     Used to launch the external program gnuplot, which must be
     installed in your system.  All plotting commands and data are saved
     into the file 'maxout_xxx.gnuplot'.

   * *gnuplot_pipes* (default on non-Windows platforms)

     This format is not available in Windows platforms.  It is similar
     to the 'gnuplot' format except that the commands are sent to
     gnuplot through a pipe, while the data are saved into the file
     'maxout_xxx.gnuplot_pipes'.  A single gnuplot process is kept open
     and subsequent plot commands will be sent to the same process,
     replacing previous plots, unless the gnuplot pipe is closed with
     the function 'gnuplot_close'.  When this format is used, the
     function 'gnuplot_replot' can be used to modify a plot that has
     already displayed on the screen.

     This format is only used to plot to the screen; whenever graphic
     files are created, the format is silently switched to 'gnuplot' and
     the commands needed to create the graphic file are saved with the
     data in file 'maxout_xxx.gnuplot'.

   * *mgnuplot*

     Mgnuplot is a Tk-based wrapper around gnuplot.  It is included in
     the Maxima distribution.  Mgnuplot offers a rudimentary GUI for
     gnuplot, but has fewer overall features than the plain gnuplot
     interface.  Mgnuplot requires an external gnuplot installation and,
     in Unix systems, the Tcl/Tk system.

   * *xmaxima*

     Xmaxima is a Tcl/Tk graphical interface for Maxima that can also be
     used to display plots created when Maxima is run from the console
     or from other graphical interfaces.  To use this format, the
     xmaxima program, which is distributed together with Maxima, must be
     installed.  If Maxima is being run from the Xmaxima console, the
     data and commands are passed to xmaxima through the same socket
     used for the communication between Maxima and the Xmaxima console.
     When used from a terminal or from graphical interfaces different
     from Xmaxima, the commands and data are saved in the file
     'maxout_xxx.xmaxima' and xmaxima is run with the name of that file
     as argument.

     In previous versions this format used to be called 'openmath'; that
     old name still works as a synonym for 'xmaxima'.

   * *geomview*

     Geomview, a Motif based interactive 3D viewing program for Unix,
     can also be used to display plots created by Maxima.  To use this
     format, the geomview program must be installed.