Plotting with the Tool Palette

Using the Tool Palette is an easy way to quickly display your data in graphical form, without any IDL programming. To create a simple plot with an overplot:

  1. Make sure you are viewing the IDL Visualize Perspective. (Click the Visualize icon in the upper right of the Workbench.)
  2. Enter the following variables at the command line:

    3. A=2*!PI/100*FINDGEN(300)
    X=sin(a)
    Y=cos(a)

    The A, X, and Y variables appear in the Variables View.
    2D_iplot_1.gif

  3. From the Variables View, drag the x variable to the Plot Tool.

The data displays in the iPlot tool.

  1. Leave the iPlot window open and return to the IDL Workbench. Notice a plot shown in the Visualizations view.
  2. Click on the Action toggle icon (window_icon.gif) to expand the Tools Palette to display the Actions.
  3. Click on the Plot tool to display the Plot Actions. In the first action, you should see X displayed in the variable field.
  4. From the Variables view, drag the Y variable on top of the X in the first action.
    2D_iplot_2.gif
  5. Now click on the down arrow next to the IPLOT button in that action, and select IPLOT, /OVERPLOT.


    6. 2D_iplot_3.gif
    The two plots now display in the original iPlot window: