Installation & Setup¶

This guide covers how to install Cute Plot on your computer. We’re always wanting to hear how to make this process more seamless. If you have any issues with the steps below, feel free to get in touch at support@cuteplot.com.

System Requirements¶

Operating System¶

Windows: Windows 10 or later

Hardware Requirements¶

RAM: 4 GB minimum; 8 GB or more for large datasets
Storage: 200 MB for the installation, plus space for your data files
GPU: a graphics card supporting OpenGL 3.3. Without one, Cute Plot falls back to software rendering, which is slower

Installation Methods¶

Download Cute Plot from https://cuteplot.com/download/

Installer¶

The installer is the recommended option. It installs Cute Plot in %LocalAppData%.

Portable¶

If your user account does not allow you to install programs, use the portable version instead. It runs from the folder you first launch it in.

First Launch Setup¶

Licence Configuration¶

On first launch, enter the licence code sent to you by email, or start your 21 day trial.

Licence activation dialog

Configuration Directory¶

Cute Plot stores its settings in %USERPROFILE%\.cuteplot\. This directory contains:

templates\ - saved plot templates
recent_templates.json - recently used templates
configuration files and logs

Software Updates¶

Cute Plot will check for updates automatically, and prompt when a new version is available to download. The updater does not install or download the update automatically, but you can do this via the Update GUI.

Update dialog

Troubleshooting¶

Application Will Not Start¶

Check that the Cute Plot executable is still present and has not been quarantined by your anti-virus software

Poor Performance¶

Close applications competing for the GPU, particularly Microsoft Teams
Check that OpenGL 3.3 is available (your PC has correctly installed GPU drivers); software rendering is much slower

File Loading Issues¶

Check the file format is supported: CSV, Excel, Parquet, PSCAD (.inf + .out or .psout), PSS/E (.out) or Blackbox RTS (.dat). See Supported File Formats
Check you have permission to read the file
Try to move the time column to the first column of the file, and remove extra headers (for .csv/.txt files)

Getting Help¶

Documentation: check the relevant User Guide section
Support: contact support with your system information and error logs (email support@cuteplot.com)

Uninstallation¶

Select Start > All apps and find Cute Plot in the list. Right-click it, then select Uninstall.

From Settings¶

Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Find Cute Plot, then select More > Uninstall.

Remove Configuration¶

Uninstalling leaves your settings and templates in place. To remove them, delete %USERPROFILE%\.cuteplot\.