Plot Types

Several unique 2D and 3D plot types can be created, modified, and displayed with Grapher. An example of each plot type is shown below. The Home tab New Graph commands or the graph wizard are used to create a graph. The plot types are organized in the Home | New Graph group by category:

Line/Scatter Plots

Line/scatter plots include 2D line plots, scatter plots, line/scatter plots, and step plots. In most cases, two variables are displayed on two axes. The Line/scatter plots category also includes 3D ribbon plots, 3D wall plots, and 3D step plots. In these cases, two variables are displayed with a 3D view. The XYZ line/scatter plot is also included. This is a true three-dimensional plots, using at least three variables and three axes.


Line Plot	Scatter Plot	Line/Scatter Plot

Step Plot	3D Ribbon Plot	3D Wall Plot

3D Step Plot	XYZ Line/Scatter Plot

Class/Bubble Plots

Class/Bubble plots include 2D class scatter plots, 2D bubble plots, XYZ class scatter plots, and XYZ bubble plots. For 2D class scatter and bubble plots, two variables are displayed on two axes. XYZ class scatter and bubble plots are true three-dimensional bar charts, where three variables are displayed on three axes.


Class Scatter Plot	Bubble Plot	XYZ Class Scatter Plot

	XYZ Bubble Plot

Function Plots

Function plots include 2D & 3D vertical, horizontal, and parametric function plots. These plot X as a function of Y, Y as a function of X, or T as a function of both X and Y. Function plots also include 2D & 3D contour function maps and surface function maps. These plot Z as a function of X and Y on either 2 or 3 axes. The Function plots group also includes polar function plots and polar parametric function plots. These plot R as a function of A or plot a parametric equation where R and A are functions of a third variable, T, on polar axes.


Y=F(X) Function Plot	X=F(Y) Function Plot	Parametric Function Plot

3D Y=F(X) Function Plot	3D X=F(Y) Function Plot	3D Parametric Function Plot

XY Contour Function Map	XZ Contour Function Map	Surface Function Map

Polar Function Plot	Polar Parametric Function Plot

Bar Plots

Bar plots include 2D, 3D, or XYZ horizontal and vertical bar charts and floating bar charts. For 2D bar charts, two variables are displayed on two axes. For 3D bar charts, two variables are displayed with a 3D aspect. 2D and 3D bar charts can also be created directly from category data. XYZ bar charts are true three-dimensional bar charts, where three variables are displayed on three axes.


Vertical Bar Chart	Horizontal Bar Chart	Vertical Floating Bar Chart

Horizontal Floating Bar Chart	Vertical Category Bar Chart	Horizontal Category Bar Chart

3D Vertical Bar Chart	3D Horizontal Bar Chart	3D Vertical Floating Bar Chart

3D Horizontal Floating Bar Chart	XYZ Vertical Bar Chart	XYZ Horizontal Bar Chart

XYZ Vertical Floating Bar Chart	XYZ Horizontal Floating Bar Chart

Statistical Plots

Statistical plots include 2D and 3D vertical and horizontal histograms, box-whisker plots, 2D and 3D pie charts, Q-Q plots, and 2D and 3D doughnut plots. Histograms read raw data and count the number of instances in each bin and then display the bin frequency as a bar. Pie charts display data as percentages of a whole. Doughnut plots are similar to pie charts, but can be stacked and have a hole in the center. Box-whisker plots and notched box-whisker plots display median, quartile, and outliers for a data set. Q-Q plots display a data set compared to another data set or to the normal distribution.


Vertical Histogram	Horizontal Histogram	Pie Chart

Doughnut Plot	3D Vertical Histogram	3D Horizontal Histogram

3D Pie Chart	3D Doughnut Plot	Vertical Box Plot

Notched Vertical Box Plot	Horizontal Box Plot	Notched Horizontal Box Plot

3D Pie Chart	Q-Q Plot	Normal Q-Q Plot

Ternary Plots

Ternary plots include ternary scatter, line/scatter, line, class, and bubble plots. The Ternary group also includes piper and Durov plots. All ternary plots display three variables on three axes, arranged in a triangle display. Classification information can be displayed on the plot when using a ternary class plot. Ternary bubble plots add a fourth dimension to the plot by varying symbol size based on another data column. Piper plots include two ternary plots, typically one cationic and one anionic. The cationic and anionic plots are projected onto a diamond plot. Durov plots show the relative concentrations of six ion groups in two ternary plots.


Ternary Scatter Plot	Ternary Line/Scatter Plot	Ternary Line Plot

Ternary Class Scatter Plot	Ternary Bubble Plot	Piper Plot

Piper Class Scatter Plot	Durov Plot

Polar Plots

Polar plots include polar line plots, scatter plots, line/scatter plots, class plots, bar charts, rose charts, wind charts, and radar charts. Data are positioned on a circular plot at an angle and a specified distance away from the center location. Rose charts are histograms where data are binned by angle value. Wind charts are similar to rose charts but the data in the bins is further categorized by a second variable. Radar charts represent multi-variate data on equi-angular spokes, or radii.


Polar Line Plot	Polar Scatter Plot	Polar Line/Scatter Plot

Polar Class Scatter	Polar Bar Chart	Polar Rose Chart

Polar Wind Chart	Radar Chart

Contour Surface Maps

Contour maps include contour data maps and grid maps. Contour maps are 2D representations of three variables. The contour line defines the equal Z values across the map. Contour maps can be displayed with an XY or XZ orientation. Surface Maps include surface data maps, grid maps, and function maps. Surface maps are 3D color representations of three variables.


XY Contour Data Map	XZ Contour Data Map	XY Contour Grid Map

XZ Contour Grid Map	Surface Data Map	Surface Grid Map

Vector Plots

Vector plots include 2D, 3D, and polar 1-point and 2-point vector plot. 1-point vector maps plot a starting point with a vector line depicting the specified angle and magnitude. 2-point vector maps plot a vector line between a starting and ending point.


1-Point Vector Plot	2-Point Vector Plot	XYZ-dx,dy,dz Vector Plot

XYZ 2-Point Vector Plot	2-Point Polar Vector Plot	1-Point Polar Vector Plot

Specialty Plots

Specialty plots include high-low-close plots, candlestick plots, and stiff plots. High-low-close and candlestick plots display at least three variables on two axes. Stiff plots show concentrations, typically anion and cation concentrations in water.


High-Low-Close Plot	High-Low-Close Candlestick Plot	Stiff Plot