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Surface plot attributes menu item

This item pops up a window that allows you to set plot attributes for surface plots. If you select a surface plot from the Active plots list in the MeshTV Main window, then attributes you change and apply will be applied to the selected plot. Unselected surface plots will not be changed. If you select this item without selecting a surface plot first, you will have to select a surface plot before you can apply the changes. Note that if you make any changes and then select a surface plot, you will lose your changes since the window will update with the attributes of the selected plot.

You can modify the default settings for attributes of future plots by opening this window, making your changes, and then pressing the Make default button. This affects only future plots, not existing ones, and stays in effect only for the remainder of the current MeshTV session unless you also select Save settings from the File menu.

Surface plot attributes window

The Surface plot attributes window looks like Surface plot attributes , if you are using MeshTV's defaults. If you aren't, the values might be different.

This window allows you to set the attributes assigned to existing or future surface plots. The attributes include things like whether the legend will be shown, whether to show a wireframe on the surface, and what color to make the surface.

If you don't see a description for an item in this window, check in the Shared items section near the front of the chapter.

Surf color button

This button allows you to select the surface color. This color can be either Z value or a solid color. If the desired color is Z value , click the "z-value" radio button. Z value , which is the default, colors the surface based on the value of the variable you have chosen for the surface plot. Note that this menu will be grayed out if the Surface toggle button is deselected. If a solid color is desired, click the "color" radio button and select a solid color by clicking the color button immediately to its right. Doing so will activate the Palette editor and a new surface color can be selected

Wire color button

This button allows you to select a new color for your wire frame using the Palette editor . Clicking the color button will activate the Palette editor so a new line color can be selected. Note that this menu will be grayed out if the Wireframe toggle button is deselected

Limits toggle

If you want to restrict the range of data used by the surface plot to generate its output, this is the option to use. Once you select the button, the Min and Max text fields become active, and you can enter in the range to use. You can change one or both fields.

Min text field

This text field becomes active once the Limits toggle button is selected. When the field contains the string "off," the actual data minimum is used, else the surface plot uses the number entered in the text field as the minimum number. When a user-supplied number is used, all data values below this minimum map to the same color as the user-supplied minimum. Note that setting a minimum also affects the vertical scaling of the plot.

Max text field

This text field becomes active once the Limits toggle button is selected. When the field contains the string "off," the actual data maximum is used, else the surface plot uses the number entered in the text field as the maximum number. When a user-supplied number is used, all data values above this maximum map to the same color as the user-supplied maximum. Note that setting a maximum also affects the vertical scaling of the plot.

Surface toggle

When this toggle is selected, the surface is drawn. You might want to turn this off if you wanted to see just the wire frame. You can modify the color of the surface via the Surf color options.

Wire frame toggle

When this toggle is selected, a wire frame of the surface is plotted. You can modify the color of the lines by using the Wire color button.