The QtiPlot Handbook
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# The Graph Menu

This menu is only active (visible) when a graph window is selected.

## Graph -> Add/Remove Curves... (Alt-C)

Opens the Add/Remove Curves... dialog, allowing easy addition or removal of curves from the active plot layer. This dialog can also be used to modify a curve which is already plotted by changing the columns which are used as X or Y values. The curve is added to the currently active layer. If there is no layer on the graph, an error message will pop-up.

## Graph -> Add Function... (Ctrl-Alt-F)

Opens the Add Function... dialog. This command is used to add new function curves to an existing layer. New curves are added to the currently active layer.

## Graph -> Add Error Bars... (Ctrl-B)

Opens the Add Error Bars... dialog. You can add error bars to X and/or Y values on an existing plot. Error bars are added to the currently active layer.

## Graph -> New Legend (Ctrl-L)

Adds a new legend object to the active layer. You can have more than one legend on a plot. These legends can later be customized by double clicking on a given legend.

## Graph -> Add Equation (Alt-Q)

This command is used to add a Tex formatted equation on a layer. When selected, the cursor changes to an edit text cursor. You must then click in the plot area to specify the position of the new Tex equation. A Tex equation editor will pop-up allowing you to enter the equation to be displayed and set all its properties (color, font, etc...)

## Graph -> Add Text (Alt-T)

This command is used to add text items on a layer. When selected, the cursor changes to an edit text cursor. You must then click in the plot area to specify the position of the new text box. A text dialog will pop-up allowing you to type the text to be displayed and set all its properties (color, font, etc...)

## Graph -> Draw Arrow (Ctrl-Alt-A)

Changes the active layer's operational mode to drawing mode. You must click on the layer canvas in order to specify the starting point for the new arrow, and then click once more to specify its ending point. You can edit the new arrow using the Arrow dialog. Switch back to the normal operating mode by clicking the "Pointer" icon in the Plot toolbar.

## Graph -> Draw Line (Ctrl-Alt-L)

Changes the active layer's operational mode to drawing mode. You must click on the layer canvas in order to specify the starting point for the new line, and then click once more to specify its ending point. You can edit the new line using the line dialog. Switch back to normal operating mode by clicking the "Pointer" icon in the Plot toolbar.

## Graph -> Add Rectangle (Ctrl-Alt-R)

Draws a rectangular box on the active plot layer. After selecting this command, the pointer changes to a crosshair target. Click and hold the left mouse button on the active layer to indicate the first corner of the rectangle, then drag the cursor to the opposite corner of the rectangle. Once the second point is specified, release the left mouse button to draw the rectangle. The pointer automatically changes back to normal mode.

## Graph -> Add Ellipse (Ctrl-Alt-E)

Draws a elliptical shape on the active plot layer. After selecting this command, the pointer changes to a crosshair target. Click and hold the left mouse button on the active layer to indicate the first corner of the ellipse's bounding rectangle, then drag the cursor to the opposite corner of the bounding rectangle. Once the second point is specified, release the left mouse button to draw the ellipse. The pointer automatically changes back to normal mode. Circles may be drawn using this command by setting the height and width equal. (The object properties dialog can be used to set height and width to exactly the same value.)

## Graph -> Add Time Stamp (Ctrl-Alt-T)

This command is used to add a special label in the active layer which contains the current date and time. The properties of this label can be customized like any other label added by the Add Text.

The date and time copied into a timestamp label is not modified later if the plot is modified, saved, etc.

## Graph -> Add Image (Alt-I)

Opens a file dialog allowing you to select an image to be added to the active plot layer. Only a link to the image file will be saved into the project file and not the image itself. The new image is added to the left-top corner of the layer and can be moved with the mouse using drag-and-drop.

## Z-Order Commands...

The zorder commands act upon the last few items. Even though they do not appear in the graph menu, they are in the plot toolbar and in the object drop down lists when right clicking a selected object.

### Move to Top

Although this command does not appear in the Graph menu, it does act upon the objects created using the last few commands (specifically legend, equation, text, timestamp, ellipse, rectangle and image objects). When a suitable object is selected, this command will be available, either from the Plot toolbar or from the drop-down list that appears when right-clicking on a selected object. When the command is used, the object will be made visible by being promoted to the front of the plot layer. It does not affect the z-order relative to other objects. Their relative z-order depends only upon their order of creation.

### Move to Bottom

Although this command does not appear in the Graph menu, it does act upon the objects created using the last few commands (specifically legend, equation, text, timestamp, ellipse, rectangle and image objects). When a suitable object is selected, this command will be available, either from the Plot toolbar or from the drop-down list that appears when right-clicking on a selected object. When the command is used, the object will be made invisible by being demoted to the back of the plot layer. It does not affect the z-order relative to other objects. Their relative z-order depends only upon their order of creation.

## Graph -> Add Layer (Alt-L)

Adds a new layer to a graph window. The command opens a dialog which allows you to select whether the new layer is to be added to the left-top corner of the plot window or to a best-guess position (based on a layer positioning algorithm in columns and rows).

## Graph -> Add Empty Inset Layer

This is a convenience command that creates a new, small sized, empty layer located on top of the currently selected layer. Once this layer is created, you can further resize, move, set it's properties and add curves to it as needed. Inset layers are not linked to another layer in any way. They just happen to be located in the same place on the graph window. In fact the inset layer can be moved anywhere on the graph window and is treated like a normal layer in every way. When the inset layer is completely contained inside another layer, it will disappear under that layer when it is selected. The new inset layer has it's own layer select button in the upper left of the graph window. Clicking on this button will bring the inset back to the front, rendering it visible again.

## Graph -> Add Inset Layer With Curves

This command is essentially identical to the Add Empty Inset Layer command, with the single exception that any curves contained in the currently active layer are duplicated in the new inset layer.

## Graph -> Arrange Layers (Shift-A)

Opens the Arrange layers dialog. This dialog allows you to customize the layout of the layers in the active graph window.

## Graph -> Automatic Layout command

Automatically arranges all the layers in the active graph window. There must be at least 2 layers on the graph. Layers are packed into the smallest dimensioned array possible. All layers are scaled to fit into the existing graph window. Rows are added until a the smallest square array is filled, at which point an additional column is added. Rows are then filled and additional rows added until the array is again square. For example, 2 layers results in a 1x2 array. 3 layers produces a 2x2 array with an empty space in the second row. 4 layers produces a full 2x2 array. Adding another layer will produce a 2x3 array, with one empty space in the second row. Additional layers result in more rows and columns being added to contain all the layers.

## Graph -> Extract to Graphs command

Each layer in the currently active graph window is copied into its own, newly created, graph window. The scale and size of the new layer is the same as the original layer. The original graph window remains unchanged.

## Graph -> Extract to Layers command

Each curve in the currently active layer is moved onto a newly created layer. The original layer is destroyed. The newly created layers are then auto arranged (see the Automatic Layout command).

## Graph -> Remove Layer (Alt-R)

Deletes the active layer and pops-up a question dialog allowing you to choose whether the remaining layers should be automatically re-arranged or not.

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