2D Curve Display Formats
The 2D diagram curves let you use the following display formats, which you can combine in any way you like:
•Connection Line
Use this display format to display signals. You can choose from several types of connection lines:
Type |
Function |
|---|---|
Straight line |
Connects the points of the curve with a straight line. |
Step line |
Connects neighboring points with horizontal and vertical lines instead of diagonal lines. |
Segment |
Draws a line between every other point of the curve. |
Triple segment |
Connects two points of the curve with a line and then leaves a gap. |
Spline |
Connects the points of the curve with a spline curve. You can specify the number of sampling points to be calculated. |
Compensating spline |
Connects the points using a compensating spline curve. The spline curve does not necessarily run through the points. You can control this using a weighting factor. |
You can specify the line style, color and arrow type. Another option is to use a color palette. You then have a multi-colored curve for displaying tolerance bands, for example.
If the data set contains void values, you can specify whether these are to be bridged with a line or whether a gap should be shown in the curve.
•Symbols
This display format draws a small symbol, e.g. a rhombus or a circle, at each point of the curve. You can freely set symbol shape, size and color. Alternatively, the size of the symbols can be determined using an additional data set. Particularly for the frequent occurrence of the "Symbols" plus "Connection Line" combination, you can specify that a small gap must be maintained between the symbol and the connection line. The connection line then stops just before the symbol.
The "Horizontal Line" and "Vertical Line" symbols are especially intended for adding range limits into the diagram. You can specify a scalar value that then determines the location of the line.
The "Vector" symbol is available for displaying vectorial measures. Here you can pre-define the angle and length of vectors or specify additional data sets.
•Error Indicators
The "Error Indicators" display format draws an error indicator at every point of the curve. The indicators can be drawn in Y or X direction and only in one or in both directions. The length of the error indicator from the point of the curve to the limiting line can be specified as an absolute value, as a distance to the point of the curve, or as a percentage value in relation to the point of the curve. To do this, you can enter fixed values or additional data sets.
•Data Labeling
The "Data Labeling" display format outputs a text with the value and unit of X and/or Y coordinate for the point at the location of each point of the curve. Alternatively, you can output values from an additional data set. The data set may contain numerical data or strings. You can freely set the writing direction and placement relative to the point.
•Columns/Bars
The "Columns" display format draws a column at each X value of the curve. This column runs from the X axis to the Y value. The "Bars" display format draws a bar at each Y value of the curve. This bar runs from the Y axis to the X value. These display formats are also available in stacked and differential variations as well as in a variant in which the base point is not the axis, but rather the axis origin. For stacked columns, the columns for several curves are displayed one on top of another instead of grouped side by side. Differential columns do not start at the X axis, but instead start with Y values taken from another data set. Analog applies to stacked bars and differential bars, but in the X direction in this case. You can set column or bar width, fill color and style.
With bar charts and column charts, you can either specify a fixed width as a percentage of the spacing between neighboring columns, or select the Dynamic column width option on the curve's Columns/Bars tab. In this case, the columns are drawn in a way that allows them to be seamlessly tagged onto each other. This is the case even if the X intervals between neighboring columns vary. The limit of neighboring columns always lies in the middle between two neighboring points of the curve.
•Fill
This display format fills the surface between the curve and the X or Y axis with a particular color, a hatching or a linear color gradient shading. A second data set can also be specified for differential filling.
Display formats for a single curve can be combined in any way you want; for instance, a connection line can be combined with symbols or error indicators. Alternatively, you can also set up several curves with different display formats; for instance, the first curve would have a connection line to represent a signal, and a second curve would have symbols to represent a data set that contains only local maxima in the signal as points.