Plotting & Visualization¶

Cute Plot provides advanced plotting capabilities designed for high-performance visualization of time-series data with sophisticated downsampling and interactive features.

Plot Architecture¶

Plot Tabs¶

Multiple plots: Create unlimited separate plot tabs
Independent settings: Each plot has its own configuration
Reorderable: Drag tabs to reorder
Add/Remove: Click "+" to add, right-click to remove tabs

Subplot Grid System¶

Each plot contains a configurable grid of subplots:

┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│ (0,0)   │ (0,1)   │ (0,2)   │  Row 0
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ (1,0)   │ (1,1)   │ (1,2)   │  Row 1  
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ (2,0)   │ (2,1)   │ (2,2)   │  Row 2
└─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘
   Col 0     Col 1     Col 2

Grid Configuration¶

Rows: 1-3 rows supported
Columns: 1-3 columns supported
Dynamic: Grid can be changed at any time
Content preservation: Existing plots maintained when changing grid size

Adding Series to Plots¶

Select series: Choose one or more series in sidebar
Drag to subplot: Drag any selected series to target subplot
Automatic addition: All selected series added to the subplot
Color assignment: Automatic color assignment from predefined palette

Template-Based Addition¶

Load template: Select template from dropdown
Drag files: Drag entire files to subplot area
Pattern matching: Series automatically distributed based on template patterns

Series Legend Controls¶

Each series in a plot has legend controls:

Rename Series¶

Inline editing: Click the rename field in legend
Custom names: Override default "Filename - Series" format
Press Enter: Confirm name change

Delete Series¶

Delete button: Remove series from subplot
Immediate action: Series removed without confirmation
Color rebalancing: Remaining series colors automatically rebalanced

High-Performance Rendering¶

Pyramid Downsampling¶

Cute Plot uses advanced multi-level downsampling for smooth interaction with large datasets:

# Downsampling levels example:
Level 0: 1,000,000 points (original data)
Level 1:   250,000 points (4x downsampled)  
Level 2:    62,500 points (16x downsampled)
Level 3:    15,625 points (64x downsampled)

Adaptive Level Selection¶

Zoom level: Appropriate detail level chosen based on zoom
Screen pixels: Ensures 4 data points per screen pixel maximum
Smooth transitions: Seamless switching between detail levels

Downsampling Algorithm¶

Uses MinMaxLTTB (Min-Max Largest Triangle Three Bucket): - Preserves peaks: Important maxima and minima retained - Visual fidelity: Maintains visual characteristics of original data - Performance: Optimized for real-time interaction

Rendering Optimization¶

Visible range: Only renders data within visible plot range
Margin buffering: 50-pixel margins for smooth panning
Parallel processing: Multi-threaded rendering for multiple subplots
Memory efficient: Minimal memory footprint per series

Zoom Operations¶

Mouse wheel: Zoom in/out at cursor position
Zoom rectangle: Right-click and drag to zoom to selection
Fit to data: Double-click to fit all data
Synchronized: X-axis zoom synchronized across all subplots

Pan Operations¶

Middle mouse drag: Pan view in any direction
Axis constraints: Hover over axis to constrain panning
Smooth panning: Optimized for fluid interaction

Axis Behavior¶

X-Axis Synchronization¶

Automatic sync: All subplots share the same X-axis range
Time alignment: Perfect alignment for comparing different measurements
Zoom propagation: Zoom operations affect all subplots simultaneously

Y-Axis Independence¶

Independent scaling: Each subplot has independent Y-axis
Auto-fit: Y-axis automatically fits to visible data range
Manual control: Can be manually adjusted if needed

Mouse Interactions Summary¶

Left Click:        Dismiss popups
Right Click:       Context menu / Zoom rectangle
Ctrl+Left Click:   Create query rectangle  
Middle Drag:       Pan view
Mouse Wheel:       Zoom in/out
Hover Axis:        Lock opposite axis during zoom

Plot Customization¶

Plot Titles and Labels¶

Access via right-click context menu:

Edit Plot Title¶

Right-click in subplot
Select Modify Plot Labels → Title
Enter new title
Changes apply immediately

Edit Y-Axis Label¶

Right-click in subplot
Select Modify Plot Labels → y-axis
Enter new label
Changes apply immediately

Series Appearance¶

Automatic colors: 20 distinct colors in predefined palette
Color cycling: Colors repeat after 20 series
Line thickness: Optimized for clarity and performance
Anti-aliasing: Smooth line rendering

Right-click any subplot to access:

Add horizontal line: Horizontal reference line at cursor Y position
Add vertical line: Vertical reference line at cursor X position
Add linked vertical line: Vertical line synchronized across all subplots
Add draggable text label: Custom text annotation at cursor position

Title: Edit subplot title
Y-axis: Edit Y-axis label

Advanced Plotting Features¶

Series Movement Between Subplots¶

Enable dragging: Hold mouse down on series legend for 200ms
Drag tooltip: "Moving: Series Name" tooltip appears
Drop target: Drop on target subplot
Automatic transfer: Series moves with all transformations preserved

Multi-Series Operations¶

Batch addition: Multiple selected series added simultaneously
Parallel processing: Efficient processing of multiple series
Memory sharing: Shared data structures for memory efficiency

Plot State Management¶

Zoom state: Each subplot maintains independent zoom state
Series state: Series transformations and customizations preserved
Session persistence: Plot configuration maintained during session

Screenshot Functionality¶

Taking Screenshots¶

Screenshot button: Click "Take Screenshot" in plot controls
Auto-naming: Screenshots saved with timestamp
High resolution: Full resolution capture
Format: PNG format with transparency support

Screenshot Features¶

Current view: Captures exactly what's visible on screen
All subplots: Includes entire plot grid
UI elements: Includes titles, labels, and legends
File location: Screenshots saved in application directory

Performance Monitoring¶

Real-Time Metrics¶

Available through Settings → Show Metrics: - Frame rate: Current FPS - Memory usage: RAM consumption - Render times: Timing for different operations

Performance Tips¶

Close unused plots: Remove plots not currently needed
Limit series count: Avoid too many series in single subplot
Use templates: Templates optimize series distribution

Best Practices¶

Plot Organization¶

Logical grouping: Group related measurements in same subplot
Consistent scaling: Use similar Y-axis ranges for comparison
Clear labeling: Always label plots and axes descriptively

Performance Optimization¶

Selective plotting: Plot only necessary series
Template usage: Use templates for repeated analysis workflows
Memory monitoring: Monitor memory usage with large datasets

Visual Design¶

Color harmony: Let automatic coloring maintain visual consistency
Annotation moderation: Use annotations sparingly for clarity
Title consistency: Maintain consistent naming conventions

Troubleshooting¶

Common Plotting Issues¶

Series Not Appearing¶

Check selection: Verify series are selected in sidebar
Y-axis range: Check if data is outside visible Y range
Data validity: Ensure series contains valid numeric data

Poor Performance¶

Reduce series count: Plot fewer series simultaneously
Close unused plots: Remove unnecessary plot tabs
System resources: Check available RAM and CPU usage

Zoom/Pan Issues¶

Reset view: Double-click to fit data
Check data range: Ensure data exists in expected range
Axis locks: Verify no axis locks are active

Visual Issues¶

Refresh display: Click in plot area to refresh
Window resize: Resize window to trigger redraw
Graphics drivers: Ensure graphics drivers are up to date

Next Steps¶

Master plotting and visualization, then explore: 1. Data Querying & Analysis 2. Annotations & Markup
3. Data Transformations

Plotting tip: Use right-click zoom for precision zooming and Ctrl+click for data analysis queries