4.2 PlotFST Plotting Utility

The plotFST utility is a GUI which accesses the sigma plotting language developed by RPN. Clearly, this tool will only be useful for those using the RPN standard file data format. The interface is nearly entirely self-explanatory, and can be reformatted to either menus (default) or columns by selection in the Display menu. Both formats are functionally identical.

Several command line options are available to users, and can be listed with the plotFST -help command. The -info flag writes version and bug reporting info to STDOUT and exits; the -file argument should be followed by the input file for plotting (this can also be set easily within the application); the -small option runs the interface in a smaller window, thereby allowing users without large screen sizes to access all of the buttons.

Up to three variables can be plotted simultaneously (one for each “set”). The sets are activated by pressing the button at the top of the set's column. The initialized values are fairly common, so often there is not a lot of modification required before a usable product is obtained. Users familiar with the RPN standard file format will be used to dealing with the IP3 identifier, which can be used to specify fields beyond simple time and level stamps. The IP3 stamp is particularly useful for plotFST when running the utility on analysis data (in conjunction with splitFST).

The Settings menu allows the user to set map options and to create axis labels. However, it also aids in the quick production of plots. The Locking options refer to the propagation of time, level, and IP3 settings across sets. For example, if all three locks are engaged (as are, say, Sets 1 and 2) and the bar at the top of Set 1 is pressed, then the time, level, and IP3 settings of Set 1 are propagated to Set 2. If the hour lock is disengaged, then only the level and IP3 settings are propagated. This makes leveling and time changes much faster and practically bombproof.

Also under the Settings menu, the user is given the Time Series options of Multiple Times or Multiple Files. The time series output is engaged by entering a colon-separated list in the Hour entry box for the sets (i.e. 0:48:6) of the form start:end:step in hours. This functionality is also available for the IP3 entry. The Multiple Times option produces a single metafile (the output default output from sigma) with multiple times in it; the Multiple Files creates a separate file for each time, especially useful for GIF generation.